The Konoha University Chronicles
by Gallade
Summary: An AU in which Naruto characters are not ninja - they're college students! Hilarity ensues and characters develop in a series of short stories and snapshots. Each character gets their own chapter! Akatsuki members are included, too! The rating of each chapter varies, but the story is rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1: Welcome to Konoha University!

**Hello all of you lovely readers!  
**

**I present to you: The Konoha University chronicles! This takes place in an AU where the Naruto characters are not ninja, they're college students!**

**I had this idea when I was thinking about what each Naruto character would major in if they went to school, and then each of these ideas popped into my head! Every chapter (except for the first two) will be centering around a different character and the various situations they get into.**

**As such, each chapter will have a different rating, genre, etc. Some are longer than others, and some are short little snippets. I'm not publishing them as separate stories because they go together. **

**You do not have to read these in order! You can pick any chapter! They're titled with the character they center around :) You can pick your favorite!**

**This first one is just a general intro to the characters (what they major in, what activities they do, their relationships to other students, etc.), but told through a narrative.**

**Anyways, thank you for reading! Please enjoy :) This chapter is told from Sakura's point of view.**

**Again, these do not have to be read in order!**

* * *

Chapter 1: Welcome to Konoha University!

...

"What? No!"

I roll my eyes as I listen to my roommate's overly dramatic phone conversation. When Ino gets into her girl-talk over the phone, it's like she reverts back to her days of being a stereotypical 'popular' high school girl.

...Even though we're sophomores in college.

It's enough to make me sick.

Sure, Ino's my best friend, but sometimes (like tonight) she gets to be a little much. It's past 11:00 PM right now and she's currently having a loud squealy phone conversation with some girl she knows from her hometown.

"Ino, could you keep it down a little?" I whisper loudly. I hate being the person who interrupts a phone call, but I'm trying to work on something and it's getting really hard to concentrate. I'm currently hunched over my laptop and furiously typing up a lab report, but I'm also dressed in super comfy sweat pants and all I want to do is keel over and sleep. "It's late and I want to finish this thing and get to bed."

Ino giggles obnoxiously and covers the receiver of the phone as she looks over at me. The look she's giving me is apologetic and I know she doesn't mean to bug me. She mouths something unintelligible before returning to her conversation. "Yeah! Mhm, I know, right? Oh my god, I know! I know! _I know_!"

I roll my eyes again and set my laptop down on the bed beside me. I seriously don't feel like doing this anymore and I'm frustrated. It's late, dammit! Am I a bad person for wanting her to be a little more considerate?

I lay down on my bed just forcefully enough to make the mattress springs protest audibly. When that gets no reaction out of her, I respond by pulling a pillow over my face and groaning. I hope she gets the message. (Okay, maybe I'm being a little too passive-aggressive, but I can blame it on sleep-deprivation, right? I'm a pre-med student and a biochemistry major and my patience is running pretty thin at the moment.)

"Uh-huh. Listen, girl, I gotta go. It's getting late."

There's a pause in the conversation and I listen hopefully. Maybe she's finally done!

"Noooo! Wait, really? Oh I feel for ya! But really, I miss you! We should sooooo hang out when I get home! Love ya! Mwah!"

Ugh. Barf.

She finally hangs up the phone and sighs.

I sit up, irritation taking a backseat to my curiosity. "So... who was this girl again?"

Ino flips a wrist and shrugs. "My best friend from high school. I'm not actually going to hang out with her, that's just something you say to your old friends when you don't want to hang out with them anymore but you don't want them to hate you."

I frown at her. "Isn't that a little... fake?"

"Well yeah, but it's like some unspoken part of girl code. You make vague plans you have no intention of keeping just so you can keep your old 'friends' in your life."

I know it's better to just nod and shrug than to try and understand Ino's convoluted preppy girl logic.

"Anyways, whatcha workin' on?" Ino asks, getting up from her bed and walking over to her dresser.

I wearily look at the laptop sitting on the bed next to me. "Oh, I was working on my lab writeup for anatomy and physiology, that's all. It's not due tomorrow though, and I don't think I can take any more work for the night."

She rifles through her dresser and pulls out a set of lavender silk pajamas. "Weren't you just working on a lab writeup the other night?"

"We have lab writeups due every week and I also have organic chemistry to do."

I just _had_ to go and pick one of the most work-intensive majors out there, didn't I?

"Ahhh," Ino says in understanding, getting dressed for bed.

It's okay, though. For all of the (silent) complaining I might do, I don't even need to remind myself that I love it. I want to be a nurse or a medic, and biology and chemistry are fascinating. I just wish the coursework wasn't so stressful. It seems like I'm always working on things and everyone else around me has free time.

"So are you almost ready for lights out?" Ino asks, sitting on her bed.

I arch my back and lazily turn onto my stomach, moving my laptop to the floor beside my bed. I'm not going to get any more work done tonight, and sleep is most important at the moment. "I'm ready if you're ready."

I wait for her to turn out the light because the switch is on her side of the room, but she doesn't move.

She looks like she's thinking or that she's going to say something. The gears are turning in her head and it's written all over her face.

"…You know who I think is hot?" she asks finally. There it is: the question I knew she was going to ask. Ino often likes to talk about boys and she thinks she needs to set me up with people because I don't have nearly as many romantic encounters as she does. This kind of conversation is to be expected by now.

I smile and let out a one-syllable laugh. "Who?"

"Sasuke Uchiha."

I make a face. "Ino..."

Ino looks at her me in disbelief. "Oh come _on_! How can you think that man isn't totally hunky?"

"Yeah, he's attractive, but he's also a complete douche, Ino. Plus he tries way too hard to be a 'bad boy' with all of his piercings and stuff. I think his brother Itachi is hotter."

Ino widens her eyes and I immediately regret giving her another guy to critique. I'm tired, right? I can't get into girly gossip sessions at 11:30 at night!

"Oh you know, you're absolutely right!" Ino says. "Not about Sasuke, I mean, but about his brother! He's a totally sexilicious senior."

I prop myself up on my elbows, chuckling a little. Maybe a little talk about guys can't hurt.

"I don't know if 'sexilicious' is the right word, but he certainly is a lot more pleasant than his younger brother," I say.

Ino follows my lead and props herself up on her elbows as well. "Oh yeah, forehead? Well tell me, then. Who do _you_ think is sexilicious?"

"Ugh Ino, I would never use that word seriously. Ever. It's too... _juvenile_."

She looks shocked. "Well there's gotta be _someone_ who gets under your skin! I'm just going to start listing names until I find out who it is."

"Ino, please…" I say with a sigh. "I don't have a crush on anyone in particular. Yeah, there are tons of good-looking guys in our huge group of friends, but I mean..."

She looks delighted at the prospect of setting me up on a date with someone. The thought makes me shudder.

"Hmm... How about Naruto? Kiba? Ooooh Kiba's hot... Um, Shikamaru? Choji? OOH, what d-"

She rattles off a list of names and I immediately hold my hands up in the air. "Whoaa, okay, slow down a little," I say. She's starting to talk way too fast and I seriously can't answer all of those questions in rapid-succession. "You know, I'm gonna start asking what you think of them too."

She nods. "Fair enough."

I look at the floor thoughtfully. "Hmm... Naruto is cute. I like his smile and his eyes and how friendly he is."

"I agree," Ino sighs. "That boy just has a way of making me feel like I've known him forever. Everyone loves him."

"Sooo Ino-pig, what do you think of Kiba, then?" I ask, following the order of the list of our friends she named.

Ino sighs dreamily again. "What a babe. That guy is smokin' hot. He's athletic and smart and he loves animals. AND he sings! I don't think you could make a more perfect man if you tried."

I give a little chuckle. I can't help but agree with her. "The boy _is_ pretty darn attractive," I say. "Like an 8 out of 10. I'd give him a higher score if he didn't smell like dog and if he wasn't such a... well, he can be a real pain in chemistry class sometimes, but Shika and I need him."

Her eyes widen delightedly at my slip-of-the-tongue and I immediately regret it. "Ooh, 'Shika?'" she laughs at the nickname. "So what do you think about '_Shika_,' then?"

I can feel myself blushing a little. "Oh stop it, Ino. He's just a friend and we're in a lot of classes together, that's all," I explain.

Sometimes I call him because I know it gets on his nerves and it's fun to mess with him. Ino thinks it means something else.

"Well I grew up with the lazy butt-munch, and I wanna hear what you think of him!" She says, raising her voice excitedly. That's right, Ino _did_ grow up with Shikamaru and his roommate, Choji.

I carefully choose my words, not wanting Ino to pry any deeper. "I think I'd find him sexier if he wasn't so lazy," I say. "I'll admit though, it's kinda cute. Plus the long hair and ear piercings and the brains are what make him attractive."

Ino nods enthusiastically. "Intelligence really gets me."

"Why, pig, because you lack it?" I tease.

"Watch it, billboard-brow; I _am_ smart!"

"Oh _please_, you're such a blonde sometimes and you know it."

"Oh shut up."

I laugh softly and sigh. "You know I'm only kidding, piglet. So... your thoughts on Choji?"

She smirks guiltily and avoids eye contact. "Well I don't know..."

I narrow my eyes at her and smile knowingly. She's suddenly putting on the shy act and I know she's not telling me something. I've suspected for a very long time now that there's chemistry between Ino and Choji, but neither of them have done anything about it. "Oh come on..."

Ino brings her hands to her cheeks and smiles shyly. "Ah fine. I think he's sorta... kinda..."

"Spill it."

"I think he's adorable," Ino blurts. "I mean, everyone used to tease him for being chubby but I think it's... cute."

Bingo! My suspicions are confirmed and I'm honestly surprised it took her this long to admit it to me. She's usually so up-front about this kind of thing and I'm always the first to hear who she likes.

Ino sits up in her bed and looks at me eagerly, crossing her legs pretzel-style. I can feel a looming sense of dread. She's not ready to sleep yet. I encouraged the boy-gossip too much.

She clasps her hands together excitedly. "So?"

"So what?" I ask reluctantly.

"So what other guys do you think are attractive?" She asks.

"Ino, it's late..." I tell her.

"How about the guys that live in the same dorm building as Kiba and Naruto?" She asks again, ignoring my plea for sleep.

Fine, I'll entertain this conversation for a little longer. I'm already sleep deprived enough as it is, so how bad can it be if I lose a little more sleep? (Hint: really bad).

"You mean Shino?" I ask. "And Lee and -"

Ino gasps really loudly and covers her mouth with her hands. "And Lee's roommate Sai?! God I think that man is dreamy," she interjects.

Here we go again. "Okay, for one, Shino is weird and hides behind sunglasses all the time. He's also obsessed with bugs. Lee is dating Tenten, so I'm not even going to say what I think of him. Sai is an interesting character, that's for sure," I list in order.

Ino's still clearly lost in her own little dream world and I'm not sure she heard anything I said. She's still stuck on Sai. "He's so amazing... He called me gorgeous one time and he's got these magnificent abs."

"…And he's socially awkward and sickeningly pale and doesn't know how to treat people," I say bluntly.

Sai's got a good heart and he means well, but seriously I speak from experience. I know him well enough to say that with confidence.

Ino shakes her head from side to side in denial. "But he's _learning_! He's a sociology minor!"

"And…? Ino, the guy is almost clueless when it comes to social interaction. Yes, he's attractive on the outside, but he can be so rude sometimes."

I almost tell her about how Sai says the opposite of what he thinks, but I hold back. There's absolutely no use in starting an argument this late at night. I can barely get this whole boy conversation under control as it is.

"Poor Temari," I say, changing the subject slightly. "These walls are paper-thin and she's stuck hearing us talk about guys at midnight."

Temari lives right next to us and though I'm sure she's used to Ino's loudness by now, it's still a good point to make. We have to be considerate.

Ino's eyes light up and I know I haven't derailed the conversation any. Sigh.

"Do you think she'd want to join in!?" Ino cries.

"That would be a no, Ino."

"Aww... Oh! What about her brothers?!"

I give her a 'what the hell?' look. "What_ about_ them? They live downstairs and I'm absolutely sure neither of them wants to talk about cute guys."

Ino looks at me, exasperated. "No, I meant to ask what you think of them!"

I almost slap a hand to my forehead. Bringing up Temari was supposed to stop this boy thing and it only ended up adding fuel to the debate. "Ino, please, it's getting pretty late."

"So?"

I groan. Clearly she's not going to drop it until we discuss nearly every male we know.

"Okay, fine." I sigh. If the only way out of this is to go along with it, then I'll comply. If I resist, it'll only be longer before I can get some precious sleep. "You know I like having Gaara as a friend and doing homework with him," I say. "He's nice and quiet."

"That's not what I meant! What about their looks?" Ino asks.

Ughhhh. "Ino…" I sigh.

"Come on! Don't you think Gaara's red hair and tattoo and ear piercings are hot?! And come on... He wears eyeliner! Talk about badass."

"Fine, Ino. Yeah, I think he's pretty darn good-looking. And so is Kankuro."

"Ew, really? Sakura, the guy likes face paint and dolls! He's a junior for crying out loud and he plays with dolls."

Okay, now she's just being rude (as if she wasn't being rude _before_ she insulted Kankuro).

"Have you ever seen him without the face paint?" I ask, gesturing here and there. "He looks good. And they're not_ dolls_, they're puppets. He's a massage therapy and theater double major! Of course he's going to work with props and puppets!"

Ino is frowning slightly, her gaze focused on her toes. She's wiggling them back and forth and analyzing her nail polish from the looks of it. "Mmm you know? You're right. He also wears eyeliner..." she says.

I nod. "Yeah, he does."

"Mm theater guys are actually pretty hot, come to think of it."

"Ino please, can I just get to sleep already?"

"What's that one guy's name... Those guys that hang out with Sasuke's brother..."

I frown. Ino's really not making much sense. Sometimes I wonder if she realizes how much she jumps around from one subject to another.

"Who, Itachi's roommate?" I ask. "Kisame is a marine biologist, not a theater guy."

She gasps dramatically. "Ew, Kisame is_ gross_. No, the other guys! The redhead and blonde... Umm... Oh! Sasori and Deidara!"

"I happen to _like_ Kisame," I say matter-of-factly. "He's a really nice goofy guy once you get to know him. Plus he's on the swim team."

"Sakura likes the fish boy," Ino teases. I don't regret defending Kisame, but I don't want her turning everything into an accusation of affection.

"Ino, stop it," I say calmly. I hope my lack of a defensive tone shows her that I'm being serious. "He's just in the biology department like I am, that's all."

"Fine... So, how about Sasori? Deidara?"

"Deidara looks suspiciously like a male version of you, Ino. He's got the long blonde bangs and ponytail and everything. And he's an art and theater double major."

Ino gasped. "Do you think he's _gay_?" She asks, sounding excited. "Because he and his roommates are kinda hot. Mmm… imagine if all three of them were into each other…"

"Ino, stop it. Just because they like art and theater and happen to look kinda feminine does NOT mean they're gay!"

"Sasori is a cutie," Ino says dreamily. "And he's so good at acting and making props."

"You know, he _also_ has puppets."

"SHH! Those are minor details!"

"Oh, so puppets are okay for Sasori but not for Kankuro?"

"Oh hush."

I take the opportunity to stop conversing. "Well, goodnight then."

"...What about their roommate?" Ino continues, blatantly ignoring me. "Don't they live in a triple?"

I groan. "Ino, _please_, I have to get up bright and early tomorrow. Can I get some sleep?"

"Oh fine, forehead. You're such a killjoy sometimes," Ino grumbles.

"Am not."

"Well, then who's the other guy they live with?" She asks. It's like she thinks that my answer will prove that I'm not a killjoy. "The one with the silver hair..."

"Hidan?" I mumble, hoping she can see that I'm clearly not amused.

She snaps her fingers in realization and looks at me with widened eyes. "Yeah! The one with purple eyes and the hot body. Hidan's his name!"

Now she's just being silly. It's really late and I'm sure tiredness has gotten to the both of us. Hidan might be really good looking, but surely she can't be focusing on looks alone. "Hidan is really loud and obnoxious," I say.

"He's also a swimmer, you know."

My patience is running really thin. I don't know why I'm as irritated as I am, but I feel like a short fuse right now. She's ignoring personality traits in favor of looks.

"Do you even pay attention to anything but looks?" I blurt. "The guy can be incredibly rude and all you care about is the fact that he swims."

Ino looks at me in shock. "God forehead, no need to be rude," she shoots at me.

I frown and stare at the ceiling. Great. I'm the one who's losing sleep and now my roommate is mad at _me_? Okay, well I _was_ a bit rude. I'm not usually this way and I know I shouldn't be taking my stress out on my best friend.

"Ino... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap," I say sincerely. I'm tired but now I care more about making sure Ino knows I didn't mean it.

"It's whatever, Sakura. Let's just get to sleep." Ino says in a flat tone of voice. She gets up and turns out the light.

I put my hands over my face and sigh. Ino's upset.

A few minutes of silence pass in the darkness, and the more and more I think about it, the more I realize that I shouldn't have gotten so impatient with her. She was really only trying to have a harmless conversation about guys and I _was_ being a killjoy. I should have been more willing to go along with it.

"Ino?" I ask tentatively, hoping that she's still awake.

"Yeah?"

Oh good, she's not asleep yet. I have a chance to reconcile with her and I know just how to do it.

"Well, Neji is pretty hot..." I say.

…

In the dark of the room, Sakura couldn't see Ino smile.

But the blonde _did_ smile, and Sakura's attempt at appeasement had worked.

* * *

**So, what did you think? :) I promise it gets better around the third chapter. As always, please feel free to comment and critique, but don't be rude. Also, suggestions are welcome! I've already got twenty-one chapters figured out, but if you get an idea for a new chapter surrounding a character I've introduced, I'd be glad to hear it****.**

**-Gallade**


	2. Chapter 2: Sakura

**POV: 3rd person (one of the only chapters that won't be 1st person). Sakura is a sophomore majoring in biochemistry with an intended nursing degree. She sings soprano in the choir and is responsible but hotheaded. She rooms with Ino in Suna building. She has a lot of good friends who she wishes she could spend more time with, but she's busy with her studies.  
**

**Rating: K+/T for mild language **

**Genre: Friendship, will be cute and a little serious. Highlights the roommate relationship between Sakura and Ino.**

* * *

Sakura was taking notes out of a textbook when her roommate flung the door open. The pink-haired student smiled and greeted her as usual; on Fridays, Ino got out of her psychology seminar at about 5:30 at night, and this was her normal return time. Sakura, on the other hand, was free on Friday afternoons. This was one of the only days of the week that she wasn't bogged down with a lab or seminar and she relished the time to herself.

"How was class?" Sakura asked as Ino burst into the room.

Ino set her messenger bag down on the floor next to her bed and sighed heavily.

"Rough?" Sakura asked sympathetically.

Ino flopped down on her bed dramatically. "Oh, it was absolutely horrible! I had to sit through that three hour snore-fest and they expect me to actually pay _attention_?!"

"Well, that's kinda what class _is_, Ino…"

Ino sat up and looked at Sakura with wide eyes. "I mean, how can they expect me to contain my excitement? Naruto's party is tonight!"

Oh, that was right! Naruto was throwing a party.

"Where's he having it?" Sakura asked.

Ino nodded slowly. "Their room. Kiba was talking about it in the dining hall today at lunch."

Sakura bit her lip lightly. "I doubt we'll all fit in that tiny little room of theirs... I mean, who's going?"

Ino gestured flippantly. "Probably the usual people we know... You know, Lee and Sai and Shino 'cause they live right there, Tenten because of Lee, maybe Hinata because of Tenten... Maybe some others we don't know..."

"And we're bringing Temari along, right?" Sakura asked. "And Kankuro and Gaara?"

"Yeah!" Ino agreed. "The party starts at eight and it's... *gasp* almost six! We've only got two hours to get ready!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Ino, two hours is plenty of time."

Ino stood up. "We still have to pick out our outfits - I'm doing that for you by the way - and put on makeup and do our hair!"

"Why put so much effort into our appearances? Chances are there will be drinking, which I'm not taking part in, mind you." Sakura reasoned. "Naruto is friends with nearly everyone. Some upperclassman is bound to bring alcohol. Why put so much effort into your appearance if people will be too trashed to appreciate it?"

"Nonsense," Ino said, walking over to Sakura's closet. "I'm still doing your makeup and hair and picking out your outfit."

Sakura sighed, giving in. "Fine, Ino. Just don't make me look too..."

...

"...Slutty." Sakura said flatly, looking into the mirror. "I look slutty."

Ino put her hands on her hips. "Come on, billboard-brow, you don't look slutty, you look hot."

Sakura checked herself out in the mirror. Ino deemed most of Sakura's clothing unworthy of party attire and insisted that she wear some of her clothes instead. Apparently, this meant digging out an impossibly short black skirt and a tiny red tank top that showed her navel.

"I feel ridiculous."

"Well, you look good, so stop complaining! Now take a seat so I can put some makeup on you."

...

Though the two often quarreled and bickered over the smallest things, it was only _because_ they had such a strong friendship that they even could afford to disagree. That was just how their relationship worked - Ino would push Sakura out of her comfort zone, Sakura would protest and fight Ino over it, and in the end it worked out for the best. It always went that way.

It was because true friendship is a matter of give and take. Ino would pick out Sakura's clothes for special occasions, and Sakura would go along with it because she knew it made her friend happy.

Sakura would peer edit all of Ino's papers upon request, even when she had little time for herself as it was. Though Ino hated when she would receive a lot of criticism, she took it graciously because she knew Sakura did it out of the goodness of her heart and because she wanted her to do well.

Ino kept a stash of chocolate and always knew when Sakura needed it most. She would sacrifice her last sweets for her roommate.

Sakura couldn't cook very well, and everyone knew it. She had the alarming ability to burn everything she touched in the kitchen. But when Ino was really upset, she did her best to bake the blonde's favorite: salted caramel brownies. Ino ate them even though the bottom was burnt.

Sakura wore that outfit to Naruto's party because she knew her best friend wouldn't purposefully steer her wrong. She trusted Ino.

"You ready?" Ino asked excitedly.

Sakura nodded. "Let's see if Temari is ready to head out."

The pink-haired girl went into the hall and knocked on their neighbor's door. "Temari, are you almost ready to go?"

The door clicked open and Temari stood there in her shiny black dress. "Ready," she said, her teal eyes gleaming.

Sakura smiled as Ino came out of the room and locked the door behind her. "Let's get Gaara and Kankuro and head over to Kiba and Naruto's."

* * *

**I will admit, this is probably one of the weakest chapters I've written. I apologize! :( The following ones will be so much better, I promise.  
**

**-Gallade**


	3. Chapter 3: Naruto

**POV: 3rd person. I wrote this chapter before I made the decision to stick with first-person, and I can't really make it flow as well if I switch it to first person. Naruto is a sophomore who is still undecided when it comes to his major. He takes some science classes to be around his friends Sakura and Kiba, but he's generally a pretty horrible student. He plays rugby with Kiba and serves as Vice President of the club.  
**

**Rating: T for language and mention of sexual things. **

**Genre: Friendship and humor. This will be lighthearted and funny.**

* * *

"Good practice, man," Kiba said with a toothy grin.

Naruto smirked back. "Thanks, but it was nothing," he said confidently. He took a moment to peel off his sweat-soaked t shirt and throw it into the gym locker. "We're definitely ready for the game tomorrow."

Kiba stripped off his shirt as well and grabbed a fresh towel from his locker. Slinging the towel over his shoulder, he nodded. "We're gonna crush those losers!"

A few of the other guys on the team started nodding in agreement, clapping Kiba on the back and shoulders. Kiba was the captain of the rugby team as well as the president and founder of the club. He had managed to find a whole team's worth of students who were equally interested in playing, and they just recently began to play against other schools.

Naruto, the club's Vice President, was just as enthusiastic about it as his roommate Kiba was. At first, the club started off as a few friends getting together and playing a few games of rugby for the fun of it. Interest grew and soon enough they got enough signatures to form an actual club, much to Kiba's delight.

"I'm gonna hit the showers now," Kiba said, tightening the towel that was now around his waist.

"I'm right behind ya," Naruto said in agreement.

Kiba nodded and closed his locker door before walking towards the showers. Naruto closed his locker and, adjusting the towel around his waist, went to join Kiba. The two approached the large showering area only to hear that the water was already running.

Naruto looked at Kiba, confused. Kiba nodded at his roommate. "The swim team had practice tonight too. It's probably them."

Naruto nodded slowly, looking around the corner. "So what do we do? The single showers are already taken."

Kiba frowned and looked around the corner as well. "Ah damn," he said in frustration. "Guess we're gonna have to use the giant open shower." He began walking towards the large open showering area.

Naruto looked panicked, stopping dead in his tracks. "No way in hell am I doing that!" He cried. "I'm not getting naked with the whole team and you."

Kiba turned around and smirked. "If you want to smell like ass all night, then fine, be my guest. But just so you know, you're sleeping outside if you stink."

"Hey, no fair!"

"It's totally fair!"

"Fine, I guess I'll shower, but I'm not going to like it," Naruto mumbled.

The two quarreling roommates rounded the corner and saw the community shower ahead. The floor had several drains and there were multiple shower heads. Naruto scrunched his nose in disgust. "This is so gay," he drawled.

Kiba walked in, flung off his towel, and started the water. "It's only gay if you make it gay," he said with a smirk.

Kiba stood under the wall of falling water, running his hands through his thick chocolate brown hair. Naruto shut his eyes tightly, took off his towel, and stepped in. "Fine," he said in disgust. "But I'm not standing anywhere near you."

"Good," the dog-like man shot back, showing Naruto a sly smile that revealed his sharper-than-average canine teeth. Naruto frowned worriedly. He usually loved seeing his roommate smile like that because it meant he was scheming something, but this time he was on the receiving end. It was no secret around campus that the two of them were pranksters who loved causing harmless mischief.

Naruto covered himself with his hands self-consciously, looking around. So far it was just the two of them in there, which made it only slightly less mortifying. At least he felt comfortable around his roommate, who had (more or less) seen him naked before. If the whole team was in here, well... THAT would be embarrassing. Plus Kiba was turned around, minding his own business.

"Oh, I didn't know you two were already in here," a male voice said. Naruto felt himself tense up, knowing that voice anywhere.

It was Sai, one of the most recent additions to the rugby team.

"Do you mind if I join you?" The pale man asked.

Kiba shot him a toothy grin. "Come on in, Sai."

Naruto shook his head wildly. "No, no, no! Kiba he can't come in here, he's obsessed with dicks!"

Kiba looked at Naruto and narrowed his eyes mischievously. "You think I don't know that?"

Oh, now Kiba was doing this just to mess with him.

Sai entered the shower and stood dangerously close to the blonde. "Is there something wrong, Naruto?" He asked, giving one of his unnerving smiles. Naruto furrowed his brow and gave Sai an exasperated look. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," he said cheerfully. "You are one of my good friends and I read that being close is a good way to strengthen your bond."

"What the hell kind of books have you been reading, Sai?" Naruto cried. "There's a time to get close to friends and this sure as hell isn't the time."

He felt Sai scrutinizing his body with his dark eyes and silently cursed Kiba for his misfortune. He knew his roommate was standing over there with a smirk on his face. He covered his crotch with his hands and slowly turned away from his next-door neighbor.

Sai smiled again. "You don't need to try so hard to cover yourself, Naruto. There isn't much there to see anyways."

That hit Naruto where it hurt. The blonde blushed furiously. "Are you making fun of me?" He shouted.

"I'm simply stating fact," Sai explained, looking at Naruto seriously. "You are rather small."

Naruto's blush deepened with embarrassment as he heard his roommate snickering. "That's not funny!" He cried, turning to look at Kiba.

"It's hilarious, tiny," Kiba teased, turning around to face the two.

"Like you have room to talk, you mutt," Naruto shot at his roommate. "You're puny."

Kiba's cheeks pinkened a little, clashing with his red triangular tattoos. "Am not," he said confidently. "I'm a grower, not a shower. Besides, I've never had a complaint."

Sai smiled falsely again. "It's true that you're a little bigger than Naruto, so you've probably had fewer complaints than him. That doesn't mean anything though."

Kiba growled. "Hey! No fair!"

Sai crossed his arms. "What about this isn't fair? I thought we were bonding quite well."

Naruto's face reddened. "Bonding?! You think this is bonding? Here's a hint, Sai: making fun of other guys' dicks doesn't mean you bonded with them."

Kiba shook his head furiously, turning off his shower. "I'm outta here," he muttered, embarrassed.

"See you later," Sai said cheerfully.

"Shut up, Sai," Naruto said as he turned to leave. "You have no room to talk, you know."

"You're just jealous," Sai said seriously. "I read about that too."

"Fuck you!"

"No thank you, Naruto. I don't want to partake in that kind of activity with you."

"Like hell you don't," Naruto said. "I'm not gay but if I was, I'd tear you in two with my monster-"

"Naruto, come on," Kiba interjected. "Stop adding fuel to the fire." He was standing outside the shower, his towel wrapped firmly around his waist.

Naruto pouted. "He started it," he complained, sticking his tongue out at their pale neighbor before joining Kiba and putting a towel over his torso.

Sai waved at the two cheerfully as they left. "See you two back at the dorm."

Sighing contently, he looked at the tiled wall. "I wish I had my notepad with me," he said softly. "I need to make note that telling the truth makes people angry."

_I thought telling the truth was always the best way to go, but every time I do I get a negative reaction from it. Is it possible that the books are wrong...? How do I know when to tell the truth and when to lie?_

Sai hung his head, feeling somewhat crestfallen. "Having friends is a tough ordeal." He sighed.

* * *

**Thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter: Kiba. I hope it doesn't disappoint you too much... it's the other weak chapter. After Kiba, they get sooo much better.**

**-Gallade**


	4. Chapter 4: Kiba

**POV: Kiba. Kiba is a sophomore majoring in biochemistry so that he can go to veterinary school. He sings in the choir and can often be found playing frisbee with his roommate Naruto and his dog Akamaru. He's also president of the rugby club and loves to live it up and party.  
**

**Rating: K. Nerdy chemistry things galore in this chapter! No rough language or anything**

**Genre: Friendship; serious but lighthearted. This shows Kiba's working dynamic with Sakura and Kiba.**

**I hope this isn't too hard to read for the non-chemistry-minded folks out there T_T **

* * *

"Shikamaru, you're late," I say, crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow. "We almost started without you."

I watch my lazy friend as he walks into the organic chemistry lab, showing no sense of urgency or any indication that he cares he is late. Shikamaru arrives at our bench, puts on his lab goggles, and brings out a composition notebook. He opens to a fresh page and looks up at the whiteboard in the front of the room, hastily scribbling down the notes.

"I've already got the whole experimental method written down," Sakura says good-naturedly, sliding her notebook in front of Shikamaru to read.

The three of us are the envy of the rest of our organic chemistry class. We know what we're doing, we get the best grades, and (unfortunately for everyone else) we work together. I know several of our classmates are a little jealous that we don't spread out the intelligence and work with others, but we're also friends and we work well together. Each of us brings something unique and helpful to the table.

Of the three of us, Sakura has the neatest handwriting and keeps the cleanest lab notebook. She's organized and hardworking.

Shikamaru is the genius who knows exactly what we're doing and is the most familiar with the mechanisms behind the reactions.

I – Kiba – am the "unexpected chemistry prodigy," or so I've been called. I don't know, I wouldn't go as far as to call myself a _prodigy_. I'm just good at it and I love what I do. I'm just the crazy dog-loving athlete who can hardly sit still in any class I take. For some reason, though, I'm calm and collected in the chemistry lab and I know exactly what to do.

Yup, with the three of us working together, we always get near-perfect results.

"We're starting the banana oil experiment today, right?" Shikamaru asks, hastily copying Sakura's pristine notebook.

"Got that right," I say, feeling excited. "For once we're actually making something pleasant-smelling."

That's the other thing. I have this hyper-sensitive sense of smell that, despite what you'd think, actually aids us in our experiments. I can name each and every compound in a mixture (even those that are 'odorless') using just my nose, and I can tell how pure something is just by smelling it. It helps our group tremendously.

"Professor Shizune said it's going to smell like bananas in this building for weeks," Sakura adds. "We're all going to be sick of this by the time we're done."

"At least we're not working with naphthalene anymore... That stuff reeks," I say, recalling the lab where we worked with the rank-smelling mothball component.

"Kiba, that was gen chem, not orgo," Sakura jokingly corrects me.

"Yeah, but it still stank," I say back.

Professor Shizune walks into the lab and hurriedly sets her things down at her desk. "Sorry I'm late today, guys," she says, looking out at the class. "I had a meeting with the dean of students."

The dean of students, Tsunade, is good friends with Professor Shizune, and it isn't uncommon to find the two together around campus. I think it's pretty sweet.

"Hopefully you've all taken down the notes on the board. We'll start lab right now. You may begin synthesizing your isopentyl acetate," the professor tells us, adjusting her lab coat.

I turn to my group-mates and flash them an eager toothy grin, showing my unnaturally sharp fang-like teeth. "Alright, let's get this show on the road," I say, impatiently rubbing my hands together.

Sakura nods at me. "I'll set up the reflux apparatus. Shikamaru, would you please go get the chemicals we need?"

Shikamaru nods, for once not complaining about how troublesome it is. Actually, this is probably one of the only environments where he won't complain about doing things.

"Sure thing." He grabs his notebook and slides open one of the drawers to look for graduated cylinders before going over to the fume hood to measure out the correct amounts of materials.

"I'll help you with the reflux apparatus," I tell Sakura, starting to check the lab bench drawers for the necessary pieces. I pull out a few pieces of glassware here and there and nudge Sakura out of the way to check the drawers she's standing in front of.

"I guess I'll go get the ring stand and clamps then," I hear her grumble. I pause my searching and look up at her. She's walking away, looking a little dejected.

I feel a guilty pit form in my stomach. _I_ should have been getting the ring stand. She already volunteered to set up the apparatus and I completely pushed her out of the way.

I guess that's one of my negative points. I… tend to get a little pushy in the lab. I just get so excited! I love doing this. If I push you and you don't push back, I end up doing the whole experiment by myself and not realizing that I took over.

I set out a few more pieces of glassware and grab a few keck clips to keep it together. I hear a sigh beside me and see that Shikamaru's walking back with three carefully balanced graduated cylinders of liquid.

He sets them down beside me and sighs again, gingerly adjusting them so that they're standing apart from one another.

Sakura returns and sets a tall ring stand on the lab bench along with a few clamps.

"This is the isopentyl alcohol, the glacial acetic acid, and the concentrated sulfuric acid," Shikamaru explains to us, pointing out the corresponding liquid as he says them.

"Thank you Shikamaru," Sakura says with a smile. "You're awesome."

"Thanks. Can you go find a heating mantle, Sakura?" He asks. "We need one for reflux."

Her smile drops and I can see that this is only adding to the frustration I caused when I took over setting up the reflux apparatus. Dammit.

"We'll assemble this while you go look," I tell her.

Sakura shoulders slump a little and she turns to walk away. I catch a glimpse of her furrowed eyebrows and I know that if we weren't in a lab full of chemicals and glassware, she wouldn't hesitate to use her fists to show us how she felt.

"I feel bad…" I sigh, clamping the condenser tube to the stand.

"How come?" Shikamaru asks, clipping a few other pieces of glassware together.

"Did you see her?" I ask. "She's mad at us. I didn't let her set up the apparatus and now she's being sent to look for a heating mantle."

"I'd be happy," Shikamaru says, clipping more to the stand. "It's less work."

I shake my head and clip the final pieces of glassware together. "Sakura isn't like that, though. She _wants_ to do the work. She isn't happy if others do it for her."

Shikamaru sighs. "What a drag."

Sakura returns to our lab bench with a heating mantle, her face rather expressionless. "I grabbed the one with the fewest stains," she tells us, plugging it in and setting it under the round-bottomed flask clipped to the condenser.

"We're all set here," I tell her, even though I know it isn't true.

The reflux apparatus _is_ assembled, all except for one (very important) thing.

"Wait, you forgot the tubes to connect the condenser to the sink, " Sakura says, pulling out one of the desk drawers and grabbing the rubber tubing.

"Oh, that's right," Shikamaru says, scratching his head. "Good thing we have you, Sakura."

Sakura chuckles. "Idiots. I know you did that on purpose."

I rub the back of my neck and avoid eye contact.

"…Thanks," she says warmly.

I nudge her with my elbow and smile. "Don't thank me," I say, sliding her lab notebook into view.

"Alright, we've got to combine the isopentyl alcohol with the glacial acetic acid in a round-bottomed flask," Sakura says, reading the page. "Then we'll swirl in the sulfuric acid."

...

Three long hours later, the three of us walk out of lab, feeling exhausted and a little lightheaded from the fumes.

"I'm sick of bananas," I groan.

"The building is going to smell like isopentyl acetate for days," Sakura says. "You'll be even more sick of bananas by the time the smell goes away."

"Don't remind me," I say flatly.

"I'm glad our banana oil was over 99% pure," Shikamaru says with a grin. "There was no gas chromatography peak for any remaining acetic acid."

…

The three continued to talk about the lab as they walked back to the dorm buildings, passing Naruto and Sai as they went.

"Were they just talking about chemistry? They sounded so excited..." Naruto muttered.

Sai put his hands in his pockets and smiled. "Well, I would assume so, considering that that's where they just came from," he reasoned.

Naruto scrunched his nose up and nodded in understanding.

"Nerds."

* * *

**I am proud to be a nerd! Nothing against nerds at all.**

**Thank you for reading! They'll get better from here :) Stay tuned for chapter 5: Shino.  
**

**-Gallade**


	5. Chapter 5: Shino

**POV: Shino. Shino is a sophomore double majoring in biology and ecology. He wants to be an entomologist. He lives in a single room next to Kiba and Naruto in Iwa building. He hates being forgotten but it happens too often. He wishes people would include him more. His best friends are ... probably Kiba. And his bugs.  
**

**Rating: K+/T for mention of some sexual stuff, but it's very light. **

**Genre: Friendship. Shows the relationships between Kiba and his friends. It's short, cute, and reflective.**

* * *

Most people call me 'freak,' weird,' or 'gross.'

Others put it nicer and refer to me as a bug enthusiast. I'd prefer that title over the others any day, but in all honesty I just wish someone would remember my name. I wish they would remember _me_.

I will admit, I don't make it too easy for them to recognize me. I walk around in clothing that covers a majority of my body and I'm pretty sure the only ones who have seen me without sunglasses are Kiba and Hinata. You see, I grew up with her. One time when we were younger my glasses got knocked off in a freak kickball incident, but that's neither here nor there.

What's important is that I am, and always will be, forgettable. I'm the guy who stands in the corner at social gatherings while everyone else has a good time. I'm the one who is left without a partner when we have to pair up for projects in class.

I'm also the guy who was the odd one out, who couldn't find a roommate, and is currently living in this tiny hole-in-the-wall single room, where I do my homework in relative peace.

"SHINOOOOO!"

I did say _relative_ peace, right?

For all of the complaining I do about being forgotten, sometimes (make that most of the time) I enjoy my peace and solitude. It makes it easy to get my work done.

My neighbors, Kiba and Naruto, ensure that I don't completely slip away from the world. For some reason they actually _like_ to have me join in on their antics. I don't mind all that much.

"Shino, we're coming in!"

"Yeah, put your pants on and open up!"

"The door is open," I say just loud enough for them to hear.

"Oooh, jerking off with the door unlocked?" Kiba's voice calls suggestively. "Kinky."

The door flies open and Kiba and Naruto barge into the room. "What's good?" Naruto asks, giving me one of his classic wide smiles that could make anyone feel welcome.

"I see you got your pants up in time," Kiba teases, insisting on carrying on with that dumb masturbating thing. He gives me some stupid warning every time they come into my room so that they don't walk in on me naked.

It only happened one time and he won't let me forget it. He makes sure I can't live down the embarrassment.

"Kiba, I never had my pants down to begin with," I say.

"Anyways, what's up?" The dog-lover asks, taking the liberty to sit down on my bed.

I turn around in my desk chair and gesture at my open laptop. "I'm working on my bio research project."

Naruto crashes right next to his roommate. "Isn't that due next week?" He asks, flopping down on the bed. I can feel my eye twitching a little – they're messing up the neatly made bedspread.

"Your point?" I ask, feeling slightly irritated. "You know, there _is_ this thing called 'doing your project _before_ the night before it's due.' I suggest you try it some time."

Kiba gives a one-syllable laugh and sits up on the bed. He turns and begins studying the insect phylogeny poster I have hanging on the wall above my bed. "So what is your research project on?" he asks.

I smile a little. "I'm focusing on this rare beetle called the bikochu. How about you?" Now _this_ is something I actually feel like talking about.

Kiba scoffs. "More bugs? Dude, isn't there anything _else_ you're interested in?"

I narrow my eyes, seeing that he's avoiding my question. "What are you doing for yours?" I repeat.

Kiba looks at me and shrugs before bursting out into laughter with his roommate. "Dude, we've got a whole week to figure that out! Why bother now?"

I sigh and frown behind my dark sunglasses. People say I always look stern, but really it's just my eyebrows. And the sunglasses. But really, I'm not _that_ mean or unapproachable, am I?

"You have a week to write the paper. It's highly irresponsible to procrastinate like this, Kiba." I look at the blonde, who's tracing circles into my bedspread. He's deliberately avoiding eye contact. "Please tell me _you_ have a subject in mind, Naruto."

Naruto really isn't much of a science-minded guy, but he's taking the classes anyways to be around Sakura and Kiba, two of his closest friends. I personally think it's a silly choice, but who am I to judge his decisions?

"Ah what does it matter?" He says, shrugging it off. "I'll get to it sometime."

I feel torn between telling him off and letting it go. Naruto is hardheaded and stubborn and is possibly one of the worst procrastinators I've ever seen. He's hardworking once he feels the pressure of working last minute, but until then he kicks back and has his idea of fun. If I push him to do his work, as I have in the past, he gripes and whines. I decide to keep quiet.

"Anyways, what did you guys stop over for?" I ask, genuinely curious as to why they came to see me.

"Dude, we live next door and you're our friend, do we need a reason to come see you?" Kiba asks, showing his fang-like teeth in a genuine smile.

"Yeah, we _like_ hanging out with ya," Naruto adds.

I don't know why that resonates so much with me, but it does. They came to see me, not because they needed a favor or because they had to, but because they _wanted _to.

They think of me as their friend, someone worthy of their time.

Someone worth remembering.

And that makes their interruptions welcome.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! As always, I'm open to feedback :) **

**Stay tuned for the next installment, chapter 6: Hinata. It's a good one.**

**-Gallade**


	6. Chapter 6: Hinata

**POV: Hinata. Hinata is a sophomore majoring in English and minoring in dance. She rooms with her best friend Tenten and has known Shino since childhood.  
**

**Genre: Friendship, slight romance. Shows Hinata's relationships with others as well as the friendships of many different Naruto characters. **

**Honestly this one was really fun to write and I hope you enjoy it! It's a little longer and I hope it goes to show that a lot of work went into each of these chapters.**

* * *

"Hey Hinata! Have you heard about the meteor shower tonight?"

I freeze up, my heart pounding unbelievably fast. It's _him_.

Naruto is talking to me.

I turn in the direction of the voice. He's running out of the dining hall and towards me as I walk through the hall and upstairs to the dorms. Oh god, I might faint. He's going to walk with me, isn't he? I don't think my heart can take this.

"You heading up to your room?" He asks, joining me as I walk. I manage to squeak a 'yes.'

You see, at Konoha University there are several dining halls and cafeterias so that the many students on campus have eating options. It's nice because it also spreads out the large student body and ensures no one place is too crowded. Most of the dining halls are in separate buildings scattered around campus, but they're all relatively close to a residence hall. Convenient, huh?

I happen to live in a dorm building connected to one of the dining halls downstairs. It's one of the larger cafeterias, so there's a lot of traffic on the first floor, but I can avoid it by just staying on the upper levels.

I live on the fifth floor, so if Naruto wants to walk with me, he'd better be prepared to hike up some stairs.

_Oh, Naruto..._

We begin to climb the flight of stairs. I can feel myself shaking, and I tighten my grip on the book bag slung over my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asks, turning towards me and squinting. "Your face is all red."

I feel my face get hotter, if that's even possible. "I-I'm fine, N-Naruto," I stutter. "It's nothing."

Second floor.

He shrugs and faces forward again. "Anyways, did you hear my question before?"

"About the m-meteor sh-shower?" I ask.

He flashes me one of his heart-stopping smiles and I gulp nervously. "Yeah! There's gonna be a meteor shower tonight! I was thinking that we could get a group of people together and go watch when it gets really dark."

I swallow nervously for a second time. "Wh-what time are you thinking?"

Naruto smiles again and my heart skips a beat. Does he _know_ how handsome he is? He must have some idea, otherwise he wouldn't be torturing me like this. His wide smile shows off his perfect white teeth and pushes back the whisker-like markings on his lightly tanned cheeks... well, it's enough to make me melt. Or faint. I've been prone to fainting around him.

"The weather reports said they'll be most visible between 11 and 1," he says as we climb the second flight of stairs.

Third floor.

I widen my eyes. "That late?" I ask. "I don't know... there are classes tomorrow."

He looks at me with those sinfully beautiful blue eyes and I can't help but sigh in defeat. "I-I'll think about it," I say, smiling apologetically.

Fourth floor.

He smiles again. "Good! We're gonna be meeting up at the soccer field, but I'm sure we'll go around and gather everyone up first."

"Wh-who else is g-going?" I stutter. I'm sick of stuttering. It's embarrassing and it only makes me more nervous to speak, and being nervous to speak makes me stutter. It's a vicious cycle.

"It was Kiba's idea," Naruto says. "I'm gonna ask the others on your floor. Kiba went to go ask the guys in Suna and we're asking Shino, Sai, and Lee later."

Sakura, Ino, Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara live in Suna building. Naruto lives over in Iwa, and I live in Konoha hall.

Basically, he's planning on asking his whole group of friends. I should have figured.

Fifth floor.

"Th-thank you for walking with me," I say softly. I now know that he only came with me because he wanted to ask the others, but I don't dwell on that. I mean, it's a start, right?

"Of course, Hinata," he says as we start walking down the hallway. We pass the closed doors of the other residents on this floor in relative silence. I round the corner and pull my key out of my pocket as I approach my room.

"I hope you'll join us tonight," Naruto says as he approaches a door across the hall from me. Shikamaru and Choji's room. "Remember to dress warmly and bring some blankets tonight so we can lay on the grass. Make sure to ask Tenten and Neji for me, okay?" He says.

Tenten is my roommate, and my cousin Neji is the RA on this floor.

I nod, smiling. "Okay."

I unlock my room, wave goodbye to the energetic blonde, and shut the door behind me. "Wow..." I say breathlessly, sinking onto the floor with my back against the door.

…

"Heeeey!" A voice calls from the other side of the door. I look up from my book and see my roommate putting down her laptop. "That must be them," she says with a smile. "I'll get the door."

I glance at the clock and see that it's about time for Naruto to come by. It's almost 11 pm.

Tenten opens the door. "Hey!" She says enthusiastically. I sit up on my bed and peek curiously at the door to see who's there. It's Kiba, Naruto, and Choji. "You ready to go?" Kiba asks. I get up from the bed, mark my page in the book, and start putting my shoes on.

"You bet!" Tenten says, walking back into the room and grabbing her coat. She slides her flip flops on and goes back to the door. I follow her to the hallway, grabbing a few blankets and a flashlight.

"Is this everyone?" Tenten asks, putting on her jacket.

Naruto makes a disgruntled face and sighs. "We haven't stopped at Suna yet, but this is everyone from Iwa and Konoha. Is Neji coming?"

I shake my head sadly. "He's one of the RAs on duty tonight, so he can't."

Naruto crosses his arms and swears under his breath. I feel bad for him. I understand why he's upset, but really he put this together last minute and conflicts are to be expected.

Tenten shuts and locks our door, and the five of us start to head out.

"No Shikamaru?" I ask Choji as we walk down the stairs.

Choji shakes his head. "Unfortunately, no. He had a shift at the café tonight that he couldn't get out of."

I nod in understanding. The Late Night Café serves food and coffee well after midnight, and it has saved my butt several times during study break and finals week. Both Naruto and Shikamaru work there, but I guess Naruto didn't have to work tonight.

"And no Lee? Or Sai? Or Shino?" Tenten asks.

Kiba grumbles. "Lee got a concussion at soccer practice, but I'm sure you knew that. Sai had to work front desk at the library, and Shino just didn't want to go."

I furrow my brow as we descend the stairs. I've been friends with Shino my whole life and, knowing him, he probably secretly wanted to come along but was afraid of overstaying his welcome. He never used to get much attention from anyone else and was used to being left out. Now that Naruto and Kiba hang out with him all the time, he doesn't know what to do with himself.

We descend the last flight of stairs and exit Konoha hall, laughing and talking as a group. I stay quiet and listen to everyone as they socialize.

I'm actually very shy, but Tenten encouraged me to go along with this whole thing. College is helping me come out of my shell a little, but I'm still very wary in social situations.

Especially when Naruto is involved.

Tenten says that everyone can tell I have a crush on him. I wonder if he knows that I like him.

The five of us approach Suna building, and immediately we're faced with a problem.

"Does... Does anyone know how to get in?" Naruto asks gingerly.

None of us have a key to Suna building, and this might put a stop to our plans.

Kiba turns to all of us and smiles. "Hold on, guys, I've got this."

He picks up a few acorns and rocks from the ground and points at a window a few floors up

Of course! Sakura and Ino have a window room!

"Good thinking, Kiba," I say, immediately catching his drift. He turns to me and smiles warmly. "Thanks."

Naruto squints and folds his arms. "I don't get it..." He mumbles.

"How in the world are you confused?" Choji asks. "He's going to throw stuff at Ino and Sakura's window to get their attention."

"Ohh, I get it," he says, though he still appears a little confused.

Kiba winds up and hurls a small rock at the window in question. We all watch as it goes sailing past the building, missing it completely.

"Nice going," Naruto teases. "I think you woke up the squirrels in that tree over there."

"Oh, shut up blondie. Like you could do better?" Kiba shoots back.

Tenten clears her throat and steps between them. "Allow me," she says confidently, holding out a hand and gesturing for Kiba to hand over the projectiles. "I'm not the pitcher on the softball team for nothing."

Kiba sighs and hands over an acorn, and Tenten skillfully fires it. It taps gently on the window, and Ino's face appears there only moments later. She looks excited and points down at the front door before disappearing.

Tenten smirks confidently. "You're welcome," she says.

A few moments pass until Ino appears at the front door to let us all in. Her smile is wide and there is no doubt in my mind that she's agreed to come along.

We all follow her back into the building.

"You're coming along, Ino?" Choji asks hopefully.

She looks at him and nods. "Of course! I just have to grab my blanket and things." We take the elevator instead of walking up the mere few flights of stairs. Somehow, the six of us manage to squeeze in there, albeit uncomfortably. I find myself squished between Kiba's chest and Choji's back. I look up at Kiba apologetically, seeing as he can't be too happy about having my shoulder jammed into his sternum.

He shakes his head slowly and smiles. "Don't apologize," he says softly. I feel myself smile a little.

The elevator dings, signaling our arrival on Ino's floor. She squeezes her way out, and everyone stumbles out after her.

"Ugh, we're _definitely _taking the stairs down," she says, putting her hands on the small of her back and leaning backwards. Everyone else grumbles in agreement.

After cracking her back, Ino leads us down the hall to her room. "Is S-Sakura coming?" I ask. Ino stops just before the end of the hall where their room is. "Sakura's not here," Ino says with a sigh. "Something about finishing an assignment. She's in the library working with Sai."

I nod in understanding. Naruto swears rather loudly and I flinch a little. There's no need for vulgar language... even though his plans for a group get-together are falling through.

Ino knocks on the door next to hers and Temari answers. She's already wearing her coat and shoes, and the smile on her face tells me that she's been excited for this.

"Let's stop downstairs to get my brothers," she says, holding her blanket with both arms. The giant group we've formed follows her to the staircase.

We arrive on the floor below and go to Gaara and Kankuro's room. Temari turns to us before knocking on the door. "Earlier, Kankuro told me no but I want to see if their minds have changed," she explains to us. Naruto storms up to the door and knocks furiously.

"Naruto, stop!" Temari urges. "Kankuro said probably not because Gaara isn't feeling well. Don't be so loud!"

The door flies open, revealing an exasperated Kankuro. He's not wearing his purple face paint. "What the hell?!" He whispers loudly. "Gaara is trying to sleep."

Naruto pushes his way past everyone and goes into the room, approaching his red-haired friend. He seems to be lying in bed from what I can see. This hallway is getting very crowded and I'm beginning to worry about what the RA will think if he or she finds us all here.

"What's up with Gaara?" Kiba asks.

"He's had this weird stomach pain all day. I want to keep an eye on him," Kankuro explains. "That's why I'm not going to go to see the meteor shower with you guys. I'm sorry."

Temari hangs her head and sighs. "I hope he feels better," she says. "Thanks for looking after him." There are several nods and hums in agreement from the group, myself included. It _is_ rather nice of Kankuro to give up this experience to take care of his brother.

"Wait," a deep voice calls from inside the room. It's Gaara, and he even _sounds_ like he's not feeling well. "Kankuro, I know you wanted to go to this thing," he says, slowly walking to the doorway and clutching his stomach. "Most of the pain subsided anyways. I think I'll be fine," he says, mustering up what appears to be a pained smile.

Kankuro turns to his younger brother and raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. Gaara scowls. "If I need help, I'll call the RA and go to the med center. Please, go and have fun."

Kankuro bites his lip and looks to his sister for advice. She shrugs. "He sounds like he means it," she reasons.

Kankuro smiles and goes into the room, probably to grab his things. I hear Temari call for Naruto and tell Gaara to call for help if he needs anything.

Kankuro comes out wearing his black cat-eared hoodie and carrying a flashlight. "Ready," he says with a smile.

We wave goodbye to Gaara and go downstairs to leave Suna.

The group begins to talk amongst themselves again on our way up to the soccer fields. I take the backseat once more, preferring to listen rather than join in on the conversation. Kankuro is talking with his sister and Tenten, and Naruto is busy having a rather spirited debate with Choji and Ino about who knows what. He's so energetic and puts his heart into everything he does and I love that about him.

I feel a nudge and I look over to see Kiba. "You're so quiet," he says. "Are you alright?" He's smiling gently at me and it's kinda nice.

I muster up a shy smile in return. "I'm alright, Kiba," I say, facing forward as we all start to go uphill to the soccer fields. "You know I'm just always quiet."

He nods and adjusts his grip on the blanket he's carrying. "I know you are, I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

I can't help but smile at that. Kiba has always been so nice to me.

It's funny, really. I don't even know how I met him. Through Naruto, I guess, but this is such a huge campus and I don't know how we formed such a large diverse group of friends but we did. If this was high school, you'd never see all of these different people together. We have the stereotypical "nerds" and "jocks" and "preppy" girls and "artsy" and "theater" and musicians and everything in between, and somehow it all works out.

Choji is into theater and cooking and yet his best friend-slash-roommate is a lazy math and science guy. They're friends with the fashion-oriented blonde psychology major (who I take botany classes with) and her pink-haired nerdy pre-med roommate. They hang out with Temari, a history major and international studies minor who also happens to play two sports and sing in the choir. Her brothers are two totally different guys who also sing. Kankuro does theater and props and gets along with Choji really well. At the same time, he also does massage therapy classes with my cousin Neji. Gaara, who is into English and writing and mythology, does his homework with Sakura even though they don't take classes together.

Temari and Tenten are on the softball team together and Tenten is dating Rock Lee, who rooms with Sai, an artist. They live near Naruto and Kiba and Shino, and all of them form an unlikely group of friends.

I grew up with Shino, a future entomologist. I guess the reason we're friends is because we've known each other for our entire lives. He's a good guy. Kiba is the odd mixture of athlete and science major and musician who has tattoos and piercings, and his best friend Naruto loves people and somehow manages to befriend everyone he meets.

I guess he's the reason every one of us became friends... Naruto.

I'm brought back from my musings by Kiba's voice beside me, and I realize that we're here. I've been lost in my own thoughts for so long that I didn't even realize we made the long trek to the soccer fields.

Up here, it's darker and more secluded. This is our best shot at avoiding the nearby light pollution from the college and the city so we can see the meteor shower.

"Let's set our stuff down here!" Naruto cries. "This is the perfect spot."

We're at the edge of one of the soccer fields near the wooded path that leads to the track and baseball fields. It's nice and secluded and surrounded by trees and I feel strangely safe out on this dark and slightly chilly night.

Naruto begins to set down the blankets he brought for the ground, using Kankuro's flashlight to see. Soon enough he's set out a good four or five blankets and the space looks wide enough for the eight of us to lay down and look up at the night sky.

I look at Naruto, who is surveying his handiwork proudly, and smile. He's really something, organizing this. Even though a lot of the others had other obligations, he still managed to get some of us together to see the falling stars.

He takes his shoes off, puts a hoodie on, and lies down on a blanket, and soon enough everyone else lays claim to their own spot. Tenten and Temari lie down next to one another at the edge of the blanket, with Choji on the blanket near their heads. Ino is situated diagonally so she can talk with all three of them. Kankuro and Naruto are laying in the opposite direction next to them, and somehow I muster up the courage to lay near him.

It's amazing, really, that such a large group of diverse people with diverse interests can get together and be close friends like this. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I look over at Naruto, who is staring up at the night sky. It's dark but I can still see his bright blue eyes and dazzling white teeth. I want to say something, but it's so hard to begin speaking. Once I start speaking, there's no way to turn back though, so the hardest part is getting that first word out.

"I-It's such a nice night for this, huh N-Naruto?" I stutter.

He turns his head my way and smiles. "It is! It's not cloudy or anything. I hope we can see the meteors."

I feel myself flushing for no reason at all and I turn my head to face the night sky, hoping Naruto doesn't notice my blush.

The inky blackness of the sky is beautiful and, for a moment I forget that I'm even near a college town and all of the bright lights. Up here with the plush well-managed grass of the soccer field beneath us, it feels like we've slipped away from it all. Away from civilization, away from all of our school obligations, and away from the stresses of the world.

The sky has more stars than you can imagine, and it looks like they're all showing tonight. The harder and longer I look, the more stars appear. The sky is painted with these luminous twinkling lights against a backdrop of darkness.

We lay there for a long time in peace and quiet. I guess everyone else is in awe of the night's beauty as well. No one wants to pierce the surreal tranquility.

The trees above us rustle in the cool night breeze and a chill passes through me. I realize how cold I am, another shiver wracking my body. I pull my long sleeves over my hands and hug my arms in tightly over my chest.

"Are you cold?" Kiba asks beside me. He sits up halfway and props himself up on his elbow, a faint smile stretching across his face. I say that I'm fine because I don't want him to worry about me, but my teeth chatter as I talk and he can see right through me.

He narrows his eyes and his smile grows. "Here, take my coat," he says, sitting up and unzipping his black leather jacket.

I look at him in slight alarm, mouth agape. "Kiba, I can't take your coat, you'll be cold if I do."

"Please? I can't stand to see you shiver like this," he says, kindly holding his jacket out for me.

When I refuse again, he slips it over my shoulders and I sigh, the warmth enveloping me. The leather jacket has a bit of weight to it and the sleeves are long, but I slip my arms inside them anyways. The cold vanishes.

It even smells a little like Kiba, I realize. The scent of warm leather, a pleasant cologne, and a trace of dog, and somehow it all smells wonderful together.

I look at him with worried eyes, trying to judge whether or not he needed his jacket back. He's staring right back at me with this strange... longing... look in his eyes. I avert my gaze quickly and feel the blood rushing to my cheeks.

Why was he staring at me like that?! I don't believe anyone has ever looked at me quite like that before.

I clear my throat and stare at the night sky. "Thank you for the coat, Kiba," I say finally, feeling myself smile. "I feel so much better."

He lays back down, arms behind his head, and sighs contentedly. "Good, that makes me happy."

I tighten the jacket around myself. "Mmm," I hum softly, closing my eyes and appreciating the warmth.

It almost feels like Kiba has moved a little closer to me, and strangely enough I don't mind it one bit. He's throwing off quite a bit of body heat and that's certainly welcome on a chilly night like tonight.

I turn to look at Naruto on the other side of me, suddenly aware of the deafening quiet that's taken over. His chest is rising and falling slowly and his eyes are shut.

I think he must have fallen asleep.

I look at Kiba and see him looking up at the night sky, a lopsided grin on his face. It looks like he has fangs because of how sharp his teeth are, and when he smiles you can see them. It's charming, in a way.

Even in this very low light, the red triangle tattoos on his cheeks are visible. It's an odd design to have, and on the face nonetheless, but it's just so... so _him_. He wouldn't be Kiba without them. Well he _would _be, but somehow they fit him and only him.

I also see a glint of metal in his ear. Even his numerous piercings are visible, illuminated by the soft moonlight.

Has he always been this good-looking?

_Wait, stop it Hinata. Pull yourself together. He's just your friend, that's all. And your loyalties lie with Naruto, remember that._

I bite my lip softly, feeling conflicted.

Should I really be putting my blinders on and ignoring everyone else in the hopes that Naruto will someday return my affections?

Part of me wants to say that it's only fair to him that I wait. He'll come around eventually.

Or not.

But it would be like sacrilege to give up now, right? I feel like I owe it to him to keep waiting.

I owe it to myself to be happy though, and isn't that what should come first?

I thought tonight would be full of opportunities to get closer to Naruto and even though that hasn't happened, it can't bring me down in the least.

Kiba has always been there for me. I think back to all of the time we've spent together and realize that we've gotten so much closer to one another than Naruto and I ever have.

At this realization, I can feel myself blushing, and hard.

He doesn't try to change me and I like that about him. He embraces the fact that I'm shy and doesn't try to coddle me or force me out of my comfort zone and that's what has made him become a good friend of mine.

He brings out the best in me. I don't think I've ever really stuttered or gotten nervous around him. I don't know how he's done it, but I feel - dare I say - comfortable around Kiba.

I feel a large, warm hand gently grab my wrist, but the motion is so quick that I can't help but pick up on some of his surprise.

"Look!" He whispers loudly, pointing up at the sky. "A shooting star!"

I follow his arm to see where he is pointing, and a bright streak of light flashes across the sky. I gasp softly in amazement.

"Make a wish," he says.

I think about what to wish for.

On one side of me is the boy of my dreams. Being with him would just feel _so_ right, I know it. He makes me weak in the knees and lose my words. He's fun and friendly and sweet.

I turn and look at the boy on the other side of me. His eyes are shut softly as he makes a wish on that falling star. He is the friend who put my warmth and comfort above his own and who genuinely cares for me.

I close my eyes and, smiling, I make my wish.

I wish for happiness, whatever that might mean.

* * *

**See what I mean? It's so fluffy and cute! It also shows that I'm a KibaHina shipper but knew that NaruHina was always going to be the actual canonical ship. Next chapter will be from Sai's perspective :) **

**-Gallade**


	7. Chapter 7: Sai

**POV: Sai. Sai is a junior who is majoring in art and minoring in sociology. He's socially awkward and craves attention, and really it's probably not so great that his roommate is Lee (he's not the person who you want to learn 'normal' social behavior from!). He works at the library front desk.  
**

**Rating: K+ (I think?) Most of these aren't T but I promise they're still worth the read!**

**Genre: Friendship, humor. Contains Sai's love of reading and his inability to read social situations.**

* * *

_When a pretty girl is near, you may suddenly feel nervous and stumble over your words. Jumpy erratic behavior will make your attraction to her obvious, so play it cool._

Well, that passage certainly isn't all that helpful.

I look up from this book that I am reading and steal a glance at my friend Sakura. She often comes with me to the library when I have to work my shift at the front desk. It's nice to have a companion who sits with me during the dreadful quiet hours.

I work at the library's front desk, mostly taking returns and handing out textbooks on reserve. It's not a very exciting job, especially when you work into the dead hours of the night like I do. It gives me a peaceful place to do my assignments, but sadly most of them are art projects that cannot be completed here anyways, so I read. I read and read and try to understand human behavior as best I can.

Many people call me awkward, but I don't know how true that can be. After all, I can still function in social situations from what I can tell. I was homeschooled for most of my life, and where I lived there were no other children around to interact with for miles. I guess you can say that I missed my chance to develop good social skills. College is certainly an interesting place to catch up, that's for sure.

I look down at my book again and scan the page for where I left off.

Oh, right. I'm reading the section about love and romance. In all honesty, the subject is both foreign and fascinating. I want to know how it feels to fall in love, but I'm not entirely sure I'm capable of doing it. The book says that a pretty girl might make me feel nervous and interested.

Why, lately I've been feeling a little nervous around Sakura, but I am definitely not in love with her. For one, she is not a pretty girl. She has this hideous pink hair that she claims is natural, though I don't buy it. She also has this gigantic forehead that she attempts to hide with her bangs and a headband... Though hiding it does no good. You could see her forehead from space. I think it looks sort of strange.

She is not my definition of pretty at all (though I can't say I even _have_ a definition of 'pretty'), so therefore I cannot feel attraction to her. That is the only conclusion I can draw from that paragraph in the book.

_Feeling attraction for someone can leave you wondering what to do about it. Do you tell them? Do you stay silent? It is difficult to decide how to act._

_Some men choose to stay completely silent and harbor a secret crush on this cute girl. This is a safe option because you can't risk being hurt, but things will never move forward this way. Men who choose to take action can either drop subtle hints or be direct about it._

_If you wish to strengthen your relationship with this girl, consider leaving her a note to tell her how you feel about her._

Well, that could work. Sakura is becoming a close friend of mine as it is, but I would love to strengthen our bond further. I don't want to lose her, so perhaps if we became closer... Yes! I will tell her how I feel about her! That will surely make her feel valued in this friendship.

I slide my book aside and look at her again. She's sitting at the table behind the front desk, pushed farther back so people know she's not working here. As if anyone would come to the library this late at night.

I take out a piece of paper and a pen to write her the note. I'm not sure exactly what to say to her because the book doesn't tell me that. It just says the note should tell her how I feel about her.

I'll just say what first comes to mind.

I put the tip of the pen to the paper and begin writing furiously. The scratch of pen on paper seems incredibly loud in this quiet vacant library. The only other noises are the hum of the lights and the softer sounds of Sakura's pencil as she takes notes from a textbook. She's not writing furiously like I am.

I look down at my paper and see my handiwork.

"Dear Ugly, I am writing this note to tell you what I think of you. Though you are severely unattractive and ill-tempered, you are my good friend and I appreciate having you. But please, do something about that awful hair color and the dreadful faces you make. At least your body is rockin'. -Sai "

I grin to myself. This is perfect! It will definitely tell her how I feel.

I wad up the piece of paper and throw it at Sakura. It nails her in the head and bounces off, rolling under her chair.

She gives me a dirty look and I know I'm in trouble. My heart begins to race nervously as she storms over to me.

"Sai, what the hell was that for?!" She shouts, standing over me in my desk chair. I shrink a little further.

"I just wanted to tell you how I feel about you."

Her face gets redder and angrier and I wonder what I did wrong.

"I see how it is. You don't know how to _tell_ me what you think so you hit me with paper to _show_ me!" She fumes, grabbing the collar of my shirt and breathing heavily. She's downright terrifying.

"No, that's not it," I manage to say. "It's a note."

Her facial expression softens a little and she releases me from her deadly grip. She retrieves the wadded up note from under her seat and straightens it out to read it.

Her facial expression quickly changes from a hopeful grin to an angry frown. Soon she's gritting her teeth and looking at me furiously and throwing the note aside. "Sai..." She growls.

I attempt to get up and escape, but in only a few steps I find myself in the same collar-grip as before. It's incredibly uncomfortable and I feel like I'm being choked. She's so close that I can feel her angry breath on my face.

"Why the hell would you write that for me?!" She cries, shaking me by the collar. "What's the matter with you?"

"I was only trying to tell you how I feel!" I stammer.

Her face gets redder if that's possible.

"I - I only wanted to strengthen our bond!" I explain, hoping to calm her down somehow. I don't know if it's the chokehold or the stopping of my heart, but it's getting hard to breathe...

"How the hell would that strengthen our friendship?!"

"M-my book -"

Sakura releases me from the chokehold and gives me the most pissed-off look I've ever seen. "What book?" She seethes. "Show me."

Now I'm afraid of what she'll think if she finds out I've been reading the section about love and romance. I don't want to give her the wrong idea.

I look over at where I was sitting and she does too. The book is still there, laying face-up and still open to the page I was reading. I gulp nervously.

She storms over and picks up the book, scanning the page furiously.

A few nerve-wracking moments pass as her eyes follow the words. I don't know what I did wrong here because I just told her what I thought of her. I expressed interest in keeping our friendship strong... I told her that I value having her around. What about that made her mad?

Was it the mention of her appearance? Surely that must be a sore spot for her. After all, she could be self-conscious about her hideous looks... I read that in a book. But I read in another book that honesty is always the best way to go, and honesty about her appearance landed me in trouble.

I don't know how to decide what is right.

She slams the book down on the desk and I reluctantly look up at her. She looks a little less angry than before, though her arms are crossed and she has a 'we need to talk' look on her face.

"This is a book about love, Sai," she says.

I nod. "Yes, I know. I was curious about the subject because it seems so odd to me. I mean, having such strong feelings for someone? How can one feel for another like the book says?"

Her facial expression softens, and I breathe a sigh of relief. She's calm now.

"You've never been in love?" She asks. "Haven't you ever felt attracted to anyone?"

I shake my head. "I haven't felt anything like the book says."

She moves a little closer and beckons for me to sit. We sit at the front desk in more of a conversation-like position.

"Love rarely ever goes by the book, Sai," she says softly. "Have you ever wanted to see someone more than anyone else? Have you ever looked at a person and felt like hundreds of butterflies are trapped in your stomach?"

"That sounds awful," I say, slightly horrified.

She giggles a little. "They're metaphorical butterflies. It's a good feeling."

"Ah."

She clears her throat. "But anyways, I'm sure you've felt _some_ sort of loving feeling for another person. Don't you have anyone who is special to you? Someone you value differently than others?"

I think about that for a moment. Yes, I have several people who I value more than others. Most people at this university are strangers. Some are friendly strangers, some don't even look at me, and some are just plain rude. But I also have special people who I want to forge closer bonds with.

Naruto, my neighbor who always includes me and makes me feel welcome.

Lee, my roommate for two years in a row and the first friend I made at this school.

Kiba, the rowdy, partying, closet "geek" who lives with Naruto.

Shino, the neighbor who stays quiet but is always respectful. He is often dragged into doing things with Naruto and the others, much like I am.

Then there is Kankuro, who I take art classes with sometimes. He is nice enough and has two siblings who go here. Gaara is his brother who also happens to be good friends with Naruto. I see him occasionally when he comes to hang out.

Deidara is a senior who I take art classes with too, though I am more into the 2D arts while he prefers 3D and theater. He claims that theater is beautiful because it only lasts for a little while. It is fleeting and explosive in nature. To each his own, I guess.

Then there is Sakura. She always chooses to do homework in my company whenever I have a late shift at the library. She claims to come along simply because it's quieter and easier to concentrate when no one is around, but I think there's more to it than that. This is the way we 'hang out,' as most people would call it.

This has become routine. We sit together and talk as little or as much as we need to. Even in complete silence we still enjoy each other's company.

I have to admit, it's a little lonely on days without her here. I look forward to spending time with her.

My heart sinks into my stomach and begins beating wildly, my eyes widening. Sakura...? No, I couldn't...

Could this be... love?

It's impossible. After all, I don't even find her pretty.

I look at said girl and find her staring at me, concerned.

"Sai, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable... If you don't want to talk about this anymore, we don't have to."

I blink a few times. "No, I find this subject matter fascinating. I was just thinking about your question, that's all."

"Oh right, I asked if there was someone special to you."

I nod. "I value friendship above all," I say, proud that I've provided an answer to her question.

She smiles.

"Before coming to college, I had no friends, nor did I have a desire to make friends. I did not even have a grasp of what friendship was, and I certainly didn't care enough to look into it. I had no idea how fantastic it could be."

I take in a long breath before continuing. "...Then I met everyone. Lee, Naruto, Kiba, Shino... You."

She looks surprised for a moment.

"That's... That's why I wrote you a note. I wanted to express how I felt to you because the bond we have means so much to me."

I have no idea why I'm saying so much of this stuff aloud... I don't know where all of this deep sentimental stuff is coming from.

She places a hand on the back of my chair and smiles.

I feel afraid all of a sudden as I think back to that thought I had. Could it even be _possible_ that I love Sakura? Is this what it feels like to love? Have I known what love is like without even realizing it?

"Sakura, is this what love feels like?" I blurt.

"You know, Sai, friendship is a kind of love," she says warmly.

Somehow she knew exactly what I needed to hear to ease my fears. I don't need to worry about whether or not what I feel is 'love' love because I know for sure that I love her and all of my friends.

"Thank you, Sakura."

* * *

**See? Cute and funny at the same time. **

**Next up will be Chapter 8: Deidara. It'll be longer and more T-rated, that's for sure. Also, it was one of my favorites to write.  
**

**-Gallade**


	8. Chapter 8: Deidara

**POV: Deidara. Deidara is a senior who double majors in art and theater. He is dramatic and quirky, and theater gives him a good taste of truly fleeting art. He lives in a triple room with his roommates Sasori and Hidan.  
**

**Rating: T/mild M. Mostly T because nothing too sexual or descriptive happens, but there are very heavy implications (as well as language). **

**Genre: Sasori and Deidara's friendship, a little bit of confusion regarding romance and self, uh... really not sure how to describe it. You'll like it if you ship Sasori and Deidara. Also this got incredibly long.**

* * *

Art is beautiful. Art is magnificent.

Art... is a bang. I love a good bang.

No, not like _that._ Well, yes, I love that too, but get your mind out of the gutter!

If you tell someone you're majoring in art, they'll probably call you crazy. They'll laugh and say you'll be out of a job. They might wonder how you'll find a way to make a living.

I've heard those things too many times, but I'm still sticking to my guns. I'm not in it for the money; I'm in it because I love it.

I've always had a knack for sculpture. Since the time I first picked up a lump of clay, I've known I had a gift. Fantastical creatures are formed from amorphous white blobs almost effortlessly. The surface is as smooth or as detailed as necessary, without any imperfections, scratches, fingerprints, or a single sign that it was sculpted by human hands.

I've been told I have godly hands. Take that however you will, yeah.

The things I make look like they could come to life. I used to pretend they did when I was younger.

I've actually had offers to have my creations displayed in a museum or showcase before, but I refuse every time. I hate the idea of my art being immortalized forever. Call me crazy, but I think the best art is fleeting and temporary. It's quite the contradiction with my field of choice, I will admit, but that's why I also do theater. That gives me my fix of momentary artful expression.

I also love making my sculptures explode, but that's usually frowned upon so I've stopped doing it... as often as I used to, anyways. Heh. (Don't tell the college I'm the one who sets off those explosions in the woods, but I can't help myself).

Clay is my preferred medium without a doubt. I feel very free and able to express myself. As an art major, however, I can't just stick to one medium and expect to earn my degree. Apparently, "artists have to be skilled in multiple areas" and, among other things, everyone has to take a figure drawing class. I made the mistake of putting it off until senior year.

Once a week, I have to spend three hours in a room with who-knows-how-many other students, my sketchbook, pencils, and a naked person.

_A naked person_.

It shouldn't bother me that much, right? Well it wouldn't if I could draw better.

I'm comfortable with clay. A pencil and a live model? Not so much.

It's nearing the end of the semester, and I've been dreading the announcement of our final project criteria. It turns out that I had every right to dread it.

...

"So you've gotta do it?" Sasori asks, raising his voice in amusement.

It's late, and my roommates and I are finally settling in for the night. We live in a triple and it's a pretty sweet deal.

I slump over at my desk chair and sigh. "It's exactly like I said, I have to find someone on campus willing to model for my final project."

Hidan fails to hold back his laughter and he cracks up rather loudly. "And they have to be _naked_?! Shit, Deidara, why are you so nervous about this? It's a perfect excuse to ask some bitch to strip for you."

I give Hidan an exasperated look. "You think I didn't think about that already? The problem is that the gender ratio at this school doesn't exactly favor that option, yeah. And besides, most of the girls here are stubborn or hotheaded and would never let a guy like me draw them naked."

Hidan's merry grin dies off and he begins to ponder that. "Oh... Well shit."

Sasori swivels in his desk chair and gets up. "When do you have to have this done by?" He asks, walking across the room and retrieving his toothbrush and things. He's about to go get ready for bed, but he's waiting for my answer before he leaves.

I sigh. "There's no checking in with the professor or anything, we just need this done in two weeks. I want to get started soon though, yeah."

Sasori nods understandingly and leaves the room, toothbrush and toothpaste in hand.

The door clicks shut and Hidan reclines on his bed, hands behind his head. "Fuck..." He sighs loudly. I can hear his spine popping all the way from my side of the room (ew!) and I know he must have had a tough swim practice.

"This sucks," I groan, turning in my seat to face my desk again. It's covered in paper and pencils and clay and all sorts of things that would make an artist squeal with delight. Half-finished sketches and sculptures litter the surface.

I shake my head and turn around. The thought of drawing right now is giving me a headache. I get up and head to the bathroom with my toothbrush and nighttime stuff. I'm in the mood to fall asleep and get away from this stress for a little. I know finding a model is only a minor problem, but as the fall semester is coming to a close I have so many other finals looming over my head as well. I have other art classes to tend to, I'm in two different theater productions that are performing soon, and I have to thesis for both my art and theater majors by the end of the school year.

College is so stressful.

...

Sasori is an artist too, though he has different ideals than I do. I think true art is fleeting, while he loves things that are immortalized forever. Strangely enough, he's the huge theater fan and puts on stunning performances that do not last forever. He even makes puppets and amazing props. Though I don't agree with his need for everlasting art, I respect his talents.

That's why I went to him for advice on the matter of choosing a model. He went through this more or less when he took the class years ago.

We live in Konoha building, the one with a dining hall downstairs. It's super convenient, I will admit. It's nice to be able to leave your room to eat and not ever have to leave the building or go outside.

I asked Sasori if he wanted to grab some lunch today, and he agreed. My schedule rarely matches up with Hidan's or Sasori's, but it's nice when we happen to have some time for meals together.

I enter the dining hall and scan the tables for Sasori, whose cherry-red hair is a dead giveaway. I spot him at a table near the stairs to the dining hall's second floor and make my way over. We're both on a limited time frame because of classes, so I don't waste much time grabbing whatever food looks appetizing before I make my way over.

"Hey," I say, setting my plate of food down and pulling a chair out to sit. Sasori looks up at me and smiles while taking a bite of bread. He's got a plate of pasta or something with tomato sauce and garlic bread, I can't quite tell. It must be delicious though; everything here is delicious.

I have a plate of grilled chicken and steamed vegetables. And a cookie. I can't help it... I have a sweet tooth and this school makes damn good desserts.

Sasori swallows and clears his throat. "Sorry about that, my mouth was full. I meant to say hey."

I shake my head and smile, cutting into my chicken with a fork and knife. "It's alright, Sasori my man. Has your day been good so far?"

He twirls his fork absentmindedly on his plate, picking up a forkful of spaghetti. "Eh. It's alright I guess. I'm already sick of the day. I want it to be over with."

I stab a piece of chicken with my fork and nod. "I feel ya, I'm so tired.

After chewing and swallowing that piece of chicken, I continue. "I've also been meaning to talk to you about something."

Sasori looks up from his plate, looking mildly interested. "What is it?"

"You took figure drawing a few years ago, right?" I ask.

He smiles softly and nods. "You're wondering about the final, huh?"

I groan. "Exactly what I'm wondering about, yeah. Did you guys have to draw another student naked?"

Sasori chuckles softly. "We were all placed in the same room with the same model - a hired one - and told to draw him."

I stare at him, not amused. "You've gotta be kidding me. What the hell changed between now and then? Why did they make it so awkward for us?"

The dining hall has gone quieter, and I look around to see some people staring at me. I guess my outburst was louder than I thought... How embarrassing. I slouch in my seat and return to my quiet companion.

"Have you had any luck finding a model?" Sasori asks, twirling spaghetti around his fork again.

I look down at my plate and sigh. "No. I haven't asked anyone today. I'm giving up." I pick up some broccoli on my fork and pop it into my mouth. My nose wrinkles in disgust but I force myself to eat it anyways. It tastes a little too green and vegetable-y for my liking, but I have to stay healthy somehow.

Sasori looks at me, his heavy brown eyes looking even more heavy and tired than usual. "Well... _I_ can model for you," he says somewhat reluctantly. The way he says it makes him seem worried about how I'll react. "That is, if you're in a pinch and have no one else. I'm there to fall back on."

I look at him in shock. "Sasori, my man, you can't be serious. I don't know... You understand the meaning of 'naked,' right?" I bring my bottle of water up to my mouth and take a sip.

Sasori rolls his eyes and smirks. "I'm not stupid, blondie. I... I modeled for my class one time. It wasn't so bad."

I widen my eyes in horror as the thought of him being my model sinks in. I would have to see all of him. Everything. Oh god... _Oh god_! I choke on the water and begin coughing loudly.

Sasori stands up from his seat, alarmed. "Are you alright?" He cries, watching me cough and sputter and make a huge scene in the cafeteria for the second time today. Go me.

I cough and cough and nod that I'm okay, and Sasori comes over to my side of the table. He begins whacking my back between my shoulder blades as I gasp for air.

"Don't try to talk, just breathe for now," he says reassuringly. I reach for my water bottle and take a few frantic sips, hoping that it'll stop the coughing. I can tell that my face is red and hot.

I get in a good deep breath and sigh. Sasori whacks me one more time and backs off, looking at me with raised eyebrows. I can tell that he's silently asking me if I'm okay now. "I'm good, I'm good," I croak.

He sits back down in his seat. "What was all that about?" He asks, bewildered. "Did you forget that you can't inhale your water?"

I throw a piece of broccoli at him and smirk. "Oh shut up," I say.

He gets a devious look on his face. "I know what made you choke," he says knowingly. "It was right after I volunteered to be your model. You were thinking about me naked!" He accuses.

My face pinkens and I cough once or twice. I try to think of a comeback or something that will save me, but I've got nothing. My silence is just making matters worse, I know it.

He smirks and sits back, crossing his arms confidently. "So... Deidara is blushing at the thought of seeing me naked," he taunts, quiet enough so that no one around us is bound to hear and take it the wrong way. "Can't say I blame you. I'm quite the sight to behold."

I widen my eyes further. "Shut up! I'm just sickened that I would have to see my roommate's junk, that's all."

The redhead doesn't look convinced and my face won't return to its normal color, which isn't helping my case at all.

"I never imagined that you batted for both teams, Deidara," he taunts lightly, that devious smile gracing his features once again. I groan frustratedly and bring a fist down onto the table. "Shut up, shut up, _shut up_! I do _not_," I urge.

He chuckles and breaks off a small piece of garlic bread. "Relax, I'm only joking. Man, you're so touchy about the subject."

I exhale deeply and try to calm myself down a little. "Sorry about that," I apologize. "I... I guess it wouldn't be _so_ bad if you modeled for me, yeah."

I instantly regret saying that. The thought of seeing either of my roommates naked is appalling. I mean, it would scar me forever! I have to live with them, and the image would be burned into my mind.

Oh god, what have I done?

...

Hidan is away for a swim meet at another school for a few days, so it's just Sasori and I. With the due date for my project drawing close (no pun intended, heh), this is the perfect time to get this whole thing over with.

Yeah, no one else agreed to be my model. Choji, one of the guys in the drama club, lives right upstairs and he's friends with several good-looking girls, so I asked some of them. He said the blonde one was off-limits... I think he likes her, and I'm not one to interfere with that kind of thing.

I asked the pink-haired one and received a bloody nose.

Tenten lives upstairs too, but she has a boyfriend and her roommate Hinata fainted when I asked.

It leaves me no choice other than Sasori. Gulp.

At least with Hidan away for a few days, we can do this thing without being ridiculed or hearing him shout profanities. He swears like a sailor and this would just set him off.

"So, um..." I say nervously, not sure how to phrase this. "Is now a good time to ask you to be my model?"

It's a very tentative question, and the words don't want to leave my throat. It's a Saturday afternoon and there are probably a million other things Sasori could be doing instead of helping me out. Part of me wants him to say he's got somewhere to go, but I know it's now or never.

Sasori puts down his screwdriver and the puppet he's been working on and smiles softly. "If you feel like drawing now, then sure."

I gulp and get up to grab my pencils, eraser, and pad of good paper from my bag. When I've retrieved the necessary items, I sit down on my bed and make the mistake of looking up at Sasori.

He's already shirtless and in the process of undoing his pants. I quickly avert my eyes, my heart pounding in my chest. I want to just tell him to put his clothes back on and forget it. I want to quit and say never mind, but deep down I know he's my only option left. It's either this or failing the class.

_I just need to act like a professional... Don't look at him for his nakedness, look at him like you would for any other model. _

But he's _not_ just a lifeless model, he's a person, and my friend nonetheless. I'm not a professional artist, figure drawing isn't my field of choice, and I haven't been exposed to enough of it to look at him professionally. I can't look at a naked body and remove the sexuality like a doctor can.

"How do you want me to pose?" Sasori asks. I look at him and immediately widen my eyes.

He's completely nude. Oh god.

I look away and bite my lip. "I don't know," I say, refusing to look him in the eyes. "However you feel comfortable, I guess."

"You know, you can't draw me if you don't look," he says. I can hear the amusement in his voice and I know he's getting a huge kick out of making me uncomfortable.

"I don't think I can do this," I say, staring at the place where the ceiling and wall meet. We should really do something about those cobwebs.

Two hands come to rest on my temples, one on each side of my head, and turn me to face forward. Sasori is crouched down and we're at eye level. I can't see anything explicit, thank goodness.

The redhead doesn't even need to say anything. He just looks at me with those large, heavy-lidded brown eyes and smiles. I sit there, my mouth gaping like a fish as I try to put words together.

"You can do this," Sasori says finally. "Stop worrying so much. Now let's just get this over with. You know I'm not a patient man."

He stands up and walks back to his side of the room, and I get a full view of his ass as he walks. I shut my eyes tightly as I feel myself blushing.

He's way more comfortable doing this than I thought he'd be. I mean, he stripped himself of clothing without even batting an eye. It's almost like he _wants_ to do this, to let me - his roommate and friend - see him naked.

No, he's just being a good friend and is willing to do anything to help me. He just has a weird way of showing it. Yeah, that's all.

I pick up a pencil and move my sketch pad to my lap. I just have to get this over and done with.

I look up at him. He's looking off sideways, one hand on his hip and the other hanging at his side. He looks comfortable and natural, which relaxes me a little too. I sigh. I can do this.

I begin lightly sketching the general shape and contours of his body, from his head to his medium-wide shoulders to his strong, taut, lean chest and stomach. Sasori has a slighter figure than the ones I'm used to drawing in class, which is refreshing. I sketch the outline of his arms and hands, which are placed next to the gentle outward curve of his hips and muscular legs.

I gulp nervously, and instead of getting to the more intimate things I decide to procrastinate and add smaller details. I add in his wild hair, which sticks up every which way. I look up at him and study his face, trying to capture his facial expression. He looks so calm and peaceful, a stark contrast to my jittery anxiety. His eyebrows are relaxed and his eyelids are drooping ever so slightly over his large brown eyes. He seems so content, and I can't help but smile a little. I look down at my paper and add the curve of his nose, thin and tiny with a slight upturned tip.

He's got the tiniest ghost of a smile on his face; barely there but I can still see it. His lips are thin and slightly pouty, with the upper one sticking out a little farther than the lower one.

I'm paying way too much attention to detail, much to my horror. I've let myself stare, and the worst part is that he isn't even looking at me. He knows I'm staring and he encourages it because he agreed to be my model.

I can't help but stare. I've never looked at my friend this closely before, but now that I'm drinking in the details I realize that he's beautiful. Too beautiful for a man. He looks like a doll, with perfect features like one of his puppets.

I have to keep drawing, but the sight of him has me doing more observation than sketching. I look down at the page and realize half the details I took note of didn't make their way from my eyes to the pencil to the page. I look up at him again and find him staring at me.

I blush uncontrollably and my eyes dart back to the page in front of me. Eye contact has never been so awkward before.

"What's the matter, Deidara?" He asks, his tone light and playful. He's enjoying this way too much.

"Nothing," I say quickly. I make myself look like I'm really concentrating on the drawing so I don't have to look back at him. I don't know why I'm suddenly feeling so flustered. It's almost like I'm seeing a whole new Sasori.

...Well, I _am_ seeing a whole new side of him, but I mean, I've never looked at him this closely before. I'm not gay, but I'm suddenly finding him beautiful and it's got me scared. I've always been attracted strictly to girls, and yet I'm sitting here nervously, drawing my naked roommate and - dammit - appreciating his beauty.

I don't know what to make of this, and I almost feel like I can't look at him. Like I'm breaking his trust or betraying him somehow if I let myself enjoy this.

"Deidara?" He asks softly.

"Huh?" I ask, still refusing to look at him. I can see his upper body (and nothing more) if I stare at the ceiling, so that's what I do.

"Deidara, I feel like I'm making you too uncomfortable... let's just stop this," he says, a hint of sadness in his voice.

I shut my eyes and bring my head back to a neutral position. I want to feel relieved that he made that suggestion, but all I can focus on is the sadness in his voice, the sadness that is undoubtedly clouding his eyes, the fact that I let my friend down or disappointed him somehow.

I open my eyes and, for the first time, I willingly look him dead in the eyes.

God, he has such big, expressive eyes.

"No," I say. "I need to turn in a drawing of something, and I'm not going to stop now. I'm sorry I was being a baby back there."

Sasori smiles at me and I feel nervous again. Not nervous to draw him or even look at him, but nervous to address my feelings about this situation. I'm really scared because I think I'm starting to feel attracted to my roommate - my _male_ roommate -and I've never felt attraction to a guy before.

I can't say anything to him because I know he likes women too. It would make things weird if I told him. It would ruin everything.

I could take the time to enjoy drawing him in all of his naked glory, but I feel like enjoying it would be pervy and wrong... I'd be breaking his trust.

I don't know what to do.

I look back down at the paper and begin sketching again, glancing up at him occasionally for reference. Soon enough, I've got his entire upper body carefully sketched out, complete with detail. Everything looks eerily perfect, from the tousle of his hair to the pout of his lips to the lean muscled look of his chest and arms. I behold my handiwork in amazement, a smirk forming on my face. It looks just like Sasori.

"Whatcha smiling about?" I hear him ask. I hold up the paper to show him and he moves closer to see. "It's not finished yet, but it looks good so far," I say proudly.

He takes the paper to look at it and suddenly I'm at eye level with his crotch and oh god I can't help but stare at it. I feel so dirty and I know I should look away but I can't.

His cherry-red hair is natural, I realize. Not that I had my doubts.

He's also kinda well-endowed and I can tell that much even when he's soft and I'm face to face with his dick and oh god make it stop I can't stop staring.

"You just window shopping, or are you gonna buy something?"

I freeze as my blood turns to ice.

Sheepishly, I look up at Sasori. He's smirking and looking at me and oh god my life is over. I'm so ashamed that he caught me staring at - and appreciating - his merchandise.

"I'm so sorry," I apologize, looking away.

"It's a very nice drawing so far, but I'm afraid it's missing something," he says. My face gets even hotter and I wish I could hide. I want to curl up and die and disappear off the face of the earth.

"I think I'm done for today," I say urgently. I put the pencils away and snatch my paper back from Sasori. That needs to go in the desk where Hidan won't find it and wonder what the heck went on while he was gone. I slip it inside the large desk drawer and turn back around. Sasori is putting his clothes back on and - thankfully - already has his boxer briefs back on and is slipping into his pants.

The moment he turns around and picks up his shirt, I can see his face. It's almost heartbreaking and I want to look away but I can't. He's trying to hide how dejected he must feel, I know it.

I don't know what to make of everything that just went on, and I would try to say something if I knew exactly what was going on in his thoughts and how he felt about what happened. It's all so confusing and I feel bad for rejecting his advances (or for assuming he was making advances if that wasn't his intention).

I need to make sense of my own feelings right now, though.

...

We sit in this strange silence for who knows how long. I'm still wondering why I feel this way so suddenly, but I've thought about it some more and I came to a few conclusions.

I'm not as shocked as I was before, now that I've mulled it over a little and let it sink in. I may or may not have a thing for Sasori, and that's that. I don't have to act on it, and it's probably best if I don't, but there's no need to feel like the world is ending.

I didn't realize it until now because I haven't ever studied him so hard or so closely before. At first I thought maybe I think he's attractive because he's so feminine-looking, but I know that's not it. I just have to face it, I find my roommate attractive.

"Sasori?" I ask tentatively, breaking the tense silence.

He sits up in his bed and looks at me. "What is it?"

I sigh and sit up as well, crossing my legs pretzel-style. "Listen, um... I'm so sorry about what happened. I hope you're not mad at me or embarrassed in any way. You shouldn't feel embarrassed and I hope that how I reacted doesn't make you feel like you _should_ be embarrassed."

He nods silently, thinking about that. "It's fine, Deidara. I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable. I didn't mean for things to get so..."

"It's fine, Sasori," I interrupt, smiling slightly. "I'm the one who should be apologizing, not you. You did nothing wrong."

He sighs. "But I'm the one who pushed you so far when you clearly didn't want it, and I feel horrible."

I yawn audibly and lay back down in my bed. "I was just confused at the moment, that's all," I say.

I'll leave it at that and see how things go tomorrow. We have to finish this thing before Hidan returns anyways, so I'll sleep on it.

...

Sunday morning rolls around and I'm feeling reluctant to wake up. If someone asked me to describe the dreams I had last night, I wouldn't even be able to start. It was all strange and left me feeling restless and I know it has something to do with my confusing Sasori situation.

I glance at the alarm clock next to my bed and see that it's around 9. Sasori is an early riser and I know he must be awake by now, though he's made no indication that he's up.

I'm afraid to talk to him because of all this awkwardness, but there's nothing I can really do but talk to him. It's unavoidable.

If this is how liking Sasori will make things, then I've involuntarily made a huge mistake.

The swim team will be back from their meet later tonight, so this creates a huge dilemma. I need to talk to Sasori at some point today and decide what to do about my drawing. If we go ahead and finish it, it has to be before Hidan comes back, but finishing the drawing is another thing entirely. If I attempt to finish my final, it would mean a repeat of yesterday.

I'm not sure I'm ready to confront my feelings about this, but the time crunch is pressuring me otherwise.

I yawn and sit up, my bangs all disheveled and in my face. That's the downside to having long (gorgeous) blonde hair, I guess. I feel like a disaster. "Mornin', Sasori," I say.

Said redhead rolls over under his covers and faces me, a small smile on his sleepy face. "Good morning, Deidara," he says contentedly.

I spent all night trying to downplay the feelings I had for Sasori, and now they're back stronger than ever. All it took was seeing him lying in bed, looking at me through those big, beautiful sleepy eyes. I hate myself for thinking about waking up next to him and having him look at me like that. I must be going crazy.

"I'm sorry about yesterday," I apologize. I know I already said that to him last night, but I'm feeling apologetic this morning, so why not?

He yawns and sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "It's alright."

"I wanted to know what you thought about continuing the drawing," I say. It's better to be direct about this, I decide. Skirting around the issue only prolongs the awkwardness.

He looks at me, the shock very apparent on his face. "I thought you wanted to give that a rest," he says. "You know, permanently. Forget it ever happened."

I shake my head and stand up, grabbing the black liquid eyeliner and hairbrush I have on my nightstand. "Sasori, my man, you don't even know the half of it. There's no way I'd be able to forget what happened yesterday, yeah."

I head to the mirror on Hidan's side of the room and take out the bun that I sleep in. Having such long (and luscious) blonde locks means that I have to tie them up at night or else they get tangled. I woke up with only my bangs in my face, but it could be _so_ much worse.

I drag the brush through my hair, smoothing out the light waves made by the overnight hair-tying. I leave most of it down and tie up the top section into my usual ponytail. I've raised quite a few eyebrows with this hairstyle, but I like it. It's me.

"So you're willing to finish the drawing?" Sasori asks. I can see him if I look in the mirror at a certain angle. He looks hopeful but... unsure about something.

"If I turn it in unfinished, I'll probably fail the class," I reason, unscrewing the top of the eyeliner and dipping the brush in a few times. I start to outline my right eye, the one not covered by my hair. Another thing that turns heads is the ring of black I always have around my eyes. "Besides, if we continue we'll need to finish before Hidan comes back, yeah."

Sasori nods and throws off the covers before standing and stretching. "Alright, I can dig it. Lemme just go take a shower first," he says. He grabs a towel and his shower caddy and heads out the door.

I sigh and start to outline the other eye, tucking my bangs behind my ear. Okay, I've got like five minutes before Sasori comes back. Five minutes to mentally prepare myself. Five minutes to tell myself that I can't act on any impulses I might feel while Sasori is posing naked.

The project comes first.

I'll ruin the friendship if I tell him how I feel. It'll weird him out.

I need to focus on the drawing.

I was just shocked yesterday. It was the first time I had ever seen him naked, so of course it was the shock that made me so jittery. Yes, that's it.

Today I won't be so surprised, so I can focus less on his body and more on the drawing. I won't be so flustered now that the novelty is gone.

I cap the eyeliner and head back over to my side of the room to get my drawing stuff. I open my desk drawer and take out the paper and pencils from yesterday. I'm a little shocked at how much the drawing resembles my roommate, and I'm very pleased with myself because drawing is not my strong suit.

The door opens and I'm startled a little. I guess I was lost in thought for longer than I realized. Sasori walks in with just a towel wrapped around his waist.

"I'm back," he announces, as if I couldn't see him. He smirks and shuts and locks the door behind him, and instantly I'm nervous again. I clutch my pad of paper close to me.

He's really not wearing much clothing at all, and his hair is still damp. It's enough to make my stomach tense up and my heart start racing. God, I feel like a preteen girl with some dumb crush. This is _ridicul_ \- oh my god what is he _doing_ nonononoNO.

Sasori takes the towel off of his waist and uses it to dry his hair. Thank god the towel is over his head and face and he's preoccupied with rubbing it vigorously over his hair, or else he'd see the stupid face I'm making.

My brain says "_close your mouth, dummy, or you'll catch flies_," but the message is getting lost in translation somewhere because my face won't listen and I'm sitting there with my jaw dropped. Sasori's body looks even more perfect today than it did yesterday, if that's possible. I feel a nervous knot forming in my stomach and I want to look away because I feel like I'm seeing something that I shouldn't be seeing but I can't stop staring.

Shouldn't I be disgusted? I mean, I have absolutely _no_ desire to see Hidan naked... God that would be mortifying and revolting and I don't want to see that. I shouldn't be okay with seeing Sasori like this, right? What makes_ him_ different?!

"You're drooling," Sasori teases.

By now he has tossed the damp towel into his laundry hamper and he's standing there completely nude.

"Am _not_," I retort, picking up a pencil. When Sasori tilts his head back and closes his eyes and laughs a little at my mercy, I wipe my mouth with my sleeve. You know, just in case he was right about the drooling thing.

"Anyways, how was I posing yesterday?" He asks, immediately straightening out.

I look down at my drawing and, rather than describing it to him, I walk over and show him. He nods understandingly and takes the same pose as yesterday. He nails it, right down to the facial expression.

"That's perfect," I say, walking back over to my bed and taking a seat. Looking at my drawing again, I have a bit of a realization.

Dammit, I nearly finished the upper body and torso yesterday and now there's nothing left to do but his legs and... parts.

Quickly but precisely, I sketch out the general outline of his lean muscular legs. His hips swell out ever so slightly from his trim and toned waist, and the curvature of his legs is nearly perfect. I have to say it again... he looks like a doll. He's perfect and sculpted just like the puppets he so lovingly crafts and it makes drawing him rather easy. I shade and refine and darken the important lines, glancing up at him every now and then as I capture his likeness.

A while later, his lower body is finished. Well... all except for the blank space I've left in place of his crotch. I've been putting that off until now and I feel so weird about this. Maybe I can just draw in a tasteful leaf or leave the area blank or something... I mean, the professor doesn't _need _to see Sasori's junk, right? And I'm not sure I'm comfortable drawing it either.

"Done."

I sigh in relief and hold the paper at a distance to see how it looks, and Sasori walks over to see it as well. I'm wary because he's standing so close and he's so... so _naked_! I hold the paper so that he can see as well.

"That looks just like me!" He says enthusiastically. I almost feel proud because he approves of my depiction of him... no, I'm _definitely_ proud. No 'almost' necessary.

"And you said you weren't good at drawing," Sasori teases, crossing his arms. He's got this smug little grin on his face and his big brown eyes are shining knowingly. "You're such a liar, Deidara."

"Oh shut up," I shoot back, my tone light and not at all serious. "This one just happened to turn out well."

He inspects it again and snorts. "So I guess you're going to turn it in unfinished?"

I know what he's referring to, but I don't feel comfortable drawing that.

"It _is_ finished, yeah," I say defiantly, snatching the paper back and carefully placing it in the desk drawer again so it doesn't get ruined. "There's no need to draw in anything else."

He looks almost hurt and I'm afraid to ask why. He can't _seriously_ want me to draw his... his stuff, _can _he?

"Deidara, it might seem like a weird request, but..."

Oh god, here it comes.

"...May I ask what's making you so uncomfortable?" He asks, concerned. "Am I doing something wrong?"

I chuckle nervously. "Sasori, my man, you're doing nothing wrong."

_It's my brain that's making everything seem so wrong and I wish it would stop!_

His eyebrows furrow. "Then why are you acting like this? I thought you wanted to finish this project, and that's why I volunteered to help you... I hated seeing you anxious, so I offered to help. But even now that you did the drawing, you're _still_ acting weird."

I don't know how to respond because I haven't even totally figured it out yet. I want to feel disgusted about so many things but I can't bring myself to do it. I want to feel like how most college seniors would feel about seeing their roommate of the same sex naked.

I want to hate myself for feeling this way about a guy, but I can't. I want to say that it's just a phase or that it's just infatuation or appreciation but I can't be certain. I'm feeling so confused and overwhelmed and stuck.

"If you're willing to listen to me, then I want to talk," I say, my voice sounding so shaky and uncertain that I barely even recognize it as my own. "Go ahead and take a seat." I pat the space next to me on my bed.

Sasori goes to sit down and I quickly interject. "WHOA-_whoa_ put something on first, yeah."

The redhead stands back up and nods in understanding. He walks over to his dresser and puts on a fresh pair of boxers, but I catch a (very nice) view of his round little ass as he walks and I'm ashamed that I even thought those thoughts.

He comes back and sits.

"So what's up?"

...

"...you probably think I'm crazy, huh?" I say, finishing the long-winded explanation that I'm sure has his head spinning. He probably thinks I'm some creepy whacko gay nut job or something for finding him - a straight male - attractive. Up until yesterday, I thought I was as straight as a board but I guess that's not the case anymore.

He's silent and I can't see his face, so I have no idea what his reaction is, nor am I sure that I want to find out. I'm so ashamed that I actually revealed all of that to him that my eyes are screwed shut and I'm slumped over.

I feel a hand on my back, gentle but sturdy, and I snap my eyes open in alarm. My sky blue eyes open to see large, heavy-lidded brown ones. Sasori is smiling and he looks so serene. "It's okay," he says calmly.

"Huh?"

"Deidara, I don't think you or anyone else knows this, but I'm what most people would consider bisexual."

That hits me like a brick wall.

"I'm pretty sure I know how you're feeling right now," he continues. "This is going to be some deep shit, okay? Bear with me."

I nod in astonishment.

"I've learned that you don't need to single it down to labels like "gay" or "straight" or "bi." Love whoever you want to love and don't let the pressures of labels or the judgment of other people make you think you're doing something wrong by loving whoever you feel attraction for."

Sasori's right... That _is_ some deep advice. I'm not breaking any rules or doing something bad by feeling attracted to a guy when I've been otherwise straight all my life. It just means that l find him particularly attractive.

...and he happens to think I'm attractive too. Heh.

...

We agreed that friendship comes first. We live together and the swim team travels away often enough should we feel the need to experiment, and this is in no way an exclusive thing between us.

And that's okay with me.

Oh, and I aced the final project because I'm a fucking boss.

* * *

**This was probably one of my favorites to write, and originally I meant for it to be shorter, but… yeah, it's not. Stay tuned for chapter 9: Choji.**

**-Gallade**


	9. Chapter 9: Choji

**POV: Choji. Choji is a sophomore who double majors in theater and culinary arts and minors in music performance. He's a huge sweetheart and is the pride of the drama club. He lives in Konoha hall with Shikamaru, and their room is across the hall from Tenten and Hinata.  
**

**Rating: K**

**Genre: Friendship. This is cute and fluffy and shows the strong friendship between Shikamaru and Choji. **

Play rehearsal makes me hungry. Musicals make me hungry too. In general, acting and singing make me hungry.

Who am I kidding? Everything makes me hungry.

The time for our performance of Hamlet is drawing near, and with all of these important rehearsals, I haven't been able to snack as much as usual. You see, I'm playing the role of Hamlet and I'm in most of the scenes, so I can't eat.

When I'm acting, I can almost forget how hungry I am. Almost.

I get completely absorbed into the role, and when I'm on stage I become my character. I guess you could say I have a real talent for performing arts, but I'm much too modest to admit that about myself. Still, the drama club loves having me. I act, I sing, and I dance.

I'm a theater and culinary arts double major and a music minor at Konoha University and I'm proud to say that I love it. I love it all so much. Whoever said college would be fun - for the parties, the friends, and the memories - was right. I'm having the time of my life.

"Great work tonight, Choji my man," Deidara says, clapping me on the back and giving me a toothy grin. He's a senior who's playing the role of Horatio, Hamlet's best friend, so I've been working with him a lot this year.

"Thanks, Deidara," I say sincerely. "You're doing a great job too, I mean it."

He smiles and is joined by his roommate Sasori before walking away and saying "see ya around." The two of them live a floor or two below me in Konoha building and it's nice that they are as involved in theater as I am. Sasori is in charge of this whole thing. This is his senior thesis in theater and he's doing a tremendous job, I must say. He's the guy who built most of the show's props and he's also playing the role of King Claudius. He's a theater and art double major just like Deidara, so I take a lot of classes with him.

I pack up my bag and head out of the auditorium with only one thing on my mind. I want food.

I skipped dinner for rehearsal tonight, and I _never_ skip meals. You know shit's pretty serious if I skip a meal for it.

I feel the blessed cool night air greet me as I leave the hot building and start to head for Konoha hall. I made sure Shikamaru and I chose to live there for one reason and one reason only: the dining hall.

There's this huge cafeteria right in the same building as my residence hall and it's fantastic. I will gladly brave the many flights of stairs to have easier access to the glorious eating establishment. One flash of the student ID gives you access to a two-level buffet-style dining hall. I'm sure the school is losing money by feeding me.

I reach the entrance to the residential part of Konoha hall and go inside. It's pretty quiet and I guess it makes sense. It's sorta late and it's not the weekend, so no one's going to be partying. I make my way down the hall and turn the corner, walking through a series of doorways.

My heart sinks as I near the door to the dining hall. That's not a sign on the door, is it? Those lights can't be off yet, can they?

Deep down I know that it's too late, but part of me stays hopeful. It's like it won't become reality until I read it with my own eyes.

"Closed."

"Dammit," I mumble, my heart sinking. The dining hall is closed for the night. I could go to one of the late-night cafés or a restaurant or something, but I was really looking forward to eating here. I don't feel like going somewhere else.

My stomach growls, adding insult to injury. I feel hollow and my stomach aches from the hunger. I never go this long without eating during the day.

I sigh, turn around, and begin to make my way to my room. I live on the fifth floor and it's going to be a long, painful hike with an empty stomach.

I don't have food in my room. I know it sounds silly. After all, why would the hungriest guy on campus – and a cooking major, nonetheless - not have food of his own?! Simple: I ate it all. I haven't gone to the store for fresh ingredients, I haven't stocked up on instant ramen either, and I know chips alone won't satiate my hunger.

I start to go up the many long flights of stairs to my floor.

This residence hall is nice, but the stairs are so painful to walk up sometimes. I mean, _five floors_?! It's a little excessive if you ask me.

If I busy my mind with other thoughts and don't think about how much the stairs make my legs burn, then the walk goes a little quicker. Before I know it, I'm huffing and puffing and climbing the last steps to the fifth floor.

It's embarrassing being this out-of-breath when I go up to my room, but even athletes breathe heavier when climbing up to the fifth floor. It's just a little much, I think. If we need this much space for students, maybe we should have another dorm instead of just piling everyone into a really tall building.

I make my way past the doors of other residents, the smell of something delicious wafting through the air. I wonder if someone's cooking something in the kitchen. It's a little late for that but I mean... It's possible. Some people aren't on the meal plan and have to get food for themselves. Others run out of meal credits for the week and have to cook their own food. If I ever ran out of meal credits… well… I don't even want to think about that.

I'm an excellent cook, if I do say so myself. I can't tell if it's because I have a talent for it or if it's because my taste buds guide me, but I'm a culinary arts major for a reason. I'd cook more if I had a car to get groceries... and if the dining hall food wasn't so damn good here.

I approach my door in one of the side hallways, walking past Tenten and Hinata's room as I go. The kitchen on this floor is just around the corner, and the smell of food is stronger than ever. Someone's definitely making something delicious and it's just teasing me at this point.

I open the door very slowly so I don't wake Shikamaru in case he's already asleep. He's usually still up when I come back from rehearsals, but this one ran a little later than normal and I don't want to be a bad roommate. That kid values his sleep more than anything.

I enter the room and see that the light's still on, but Shikamaru isn't here. That's weird... I didn't think he had anything to do tonight. Maybe he had some impromptu assignment to do for tomorrow or something. Shikamaru and Kiba and Sakura always do their organic chemistry studying together, so maybe they had a lab writeup due.

I set my backpack down by my desk and sit on the bed, the mattress springs creaking. When I sit down, my exhaustion hits me hard. I could fall asleep right now if I wasn't so hungry.

I lean down and slide a large plastic storage bin out from under my bed. I keep food in here so it stays fresh and pest-free, but right now all I have is some snacky food. I guess chips will have to do for now...

I feel my phone buzz in my pocket. Puzzled, I pull it out and see who texted me at such a late hour.

Shikamaru.

I go past the lock screen and open my messages to see what he said. Maybe he's working on homework after all.

"When you finish with play practice, come to the 5th floor kitchen."

I look at the screen, unsure of what to think. Wasn't there someone in there already? Why did he want...?

Oh.

Now that I think about it, I don't think I saw my pots and pans in the storage bin.

I shouldn't get my hopes up too much, but I have my suspicions as to what he's doing.

I close my phone and set it down on the bed before getting up and heading out the door once again.

I make my way to the kitchen, the delicious aroma pulling me in. As I get closer, I can hear the metallic clang of cookware and the running of the kitchen faucet.

I peek my head in, hoping that I see my roommate in there and not someone else. That would be embarrassing. Everyone on this floor knows that I love food - I don't want them thinking I'm trying to mooch a meal off them or anything like that.

I feel a jolt of excitement when I see Shikamaru standing at the sink, scrubbing the inside of one of my pans with a soapy sponge. He's already in a cozy green college hoodie and sweatpants and he looks ready for bed.

"Hey!" I say, walking into the kitchen. I can see a plate with grilled pork chops on it. On the stovetop are saucepans, one filled with potatoes au gratin and the smallest one with a dark reddish-brown sauce. My mouth begins to water.

Barbecue.

He turns around and his face lights up at the sight of me.

"Hey, you're here already! You got my text?"

I nod and approach him, a huge smile on my face. "I did! I had no idea this was you in here until you texted me!"

He puts down the heavy pan and smiles. "I didn't know when you'd be done, but it looks like the timing was just right. I sent that text as soon as I finished cooking you dinner."

"This is for me?" I cry in disbelief.

"Of course."

I widen my eyes and hear my stomach growl loudly. I guess being hopeful was appropriate in this case.

Shikamaru made dinner for me.

"You're the best, Shikamaru!" I say sincerely.

"Am not," he says coyly, looking a little flattered.

"Are too!" I insist, going up to the plate of pork chops and scooping some potatoes onto it. I smother the pork chops in warm barbecue sauce, my mouth watering in anticipation. This looks and smells so good and it's taking every ounce of self-control to not shove my face into the plate. I carry it to the kitchen table and see that he brought silverware too.

He really thought of everything.

I turn to look at him, amazed. It's nearly midnight on a Tuesday and he's been slaving over a hot stove for me because he knew I didn't eat dinner.

"You didn't have to do this," I say, my voice sounding a lot more amazed than I thought it would.

He chuckles and shuts off the water. "But I wanted to." He picks up a dish towel and starts to dry the pan.

"But... I mean... it's a lot of work!" I stammer, cutting into a pork chop.

"Not really," he says. "I made the potatoes from a box and put the pork chops in a pan. Not too hard."

Even so, it's time that he invested in making dinner for me. That's a lot more than anyone else would have done for me.

Shikamaru is the best friend I could ever ask for. I've known him for all of my life and we ended up going to the same college together. I know some people think it's silly to room with an old friend, but I mean... we had different roommates last year. This year we chose to live together. I think that just proves that we're going to be best buds forever.

I can't get over the fact that he made dinner for me. Anyone else wouldn't have paid enough attention to see that I didn't eat dinner. If I came back hungry, they wouldn't do anything about it. They might even tell me that I could stand to lose some weight.

Shikamaru doesn't do any of that though. Others have judged me for my weight and appearance, and Shikamaru has never once said anything. He isn't embarrassed to be seen around me and he sees the good in me when others fail to even try to see it.

"Please, have some too," I say to him, gesturing towards the plate of food. He smiles and pulls out a chair, picking up another set of silverware.

He knows this is huge because I _never_ share food.

Not unless it's with a true best friend.

* * *

**I just love the friendship between Shikamaru and Choji. They're probably two of my favorite characters. Anyways, stay tuned for the next chapter about Tenten! I'm really so glad that you've read this, and reviews are very welcome **

**-Gallade**


	10. Chapter 10: Tenten

**POV: Tenten. Tenten is a junior who double majors in Spanish and psychology. She's fluent in several languages. She plays softball and field hockey and is dating Rock Lee. Her roommate is her friend Hinata and she is also good friends with fellow teammate Temari and Hinata's cousin Neji.  
**

**Rating: K/K+**

**Genre: Romance (established relationship), sports, worry. Cute and very light dramatic reflection.  
**

* * *

It's the bottom of the first inning, and I am ready to win.

The Konoha University softball team is playing against the Amegakure college team, and it's going to be a good game. I can feel it.

I'm extra pumped today and I'm not in a good mood, so instead of being sad and letting my team down I'm using my anger to fuel my pitching.

You see, my boyfriend Rock Lee and I got into a fight last night. I don't even remember what it was about but it seemed big because we don't fight that often. I ended up telling him to come to the game if he wanted to fix things, and if he didn't show then I knew it was over. I know it's a bit much but I was mad and we all say things we regret when we're angry.

I'm on the pitcher's mound and I know everyone is watching me and the batter. Amegakure already has two outs and they're about to get this third out as soon as I'm done with this girl. I tighten my grip on the hard ball and let out a deep calm breath. My team is counting on me.

I wind up and let the ball fly. The girl swings the bat and misses by a long shot. It lands in the catcher's mitt with a satisfying 'thump.'

"Strike one!" The umpire cries.

Fans of the Konoha team cheer and clap, and though I hear them I still can't help but wonder if Lee's out there.

I don't want to end it with him, so I'm really hoping he shows up. He usually comes to my games anyways, so it's not like I asked too much of him. I know he enjoys sports as much as I do. He's on the men's soccer team and the track and field team as well.

But usually I can see him in the stands or something. He's gotten into the habit of holding up large poster board signs with my name written on them. It's not hard to miss him. He has shiny black hair that's trimmed into a bowl cut and large round-ish eyes. He's also lean and muscular and has the sweetest temperament. He's very enthusiastic and determined and has an amazing sense of self-discipline. You can just _tell_ when he's here.

I wind up and throw a fast pitch. The batter stands there and doesn't even swing as the ball sails by and into the catcher's mitt with another satisfying 'smack.' She looks dumbfounded.

"Strike two!"

The crowd cheers and I feel a surge of adrenaline. This is exhilarating. I only have to throw one more strike and then it'll be Konoha up to bat again.

I wind up and throw the ball, the motion of my wrist adding spin to it. I watch in eager anticipation as the ball flies by the batter. She swings but it curves just out of the way of the bat.

"Strike three!"

The crowd goes wild and we all start to jog into the dugout. I feel a few of the girls on my team pat me on the back and say things like "great job!"

...

I wish it felt great. It's now the bottom of the last inning and I'm still pitching. By this point, my arm is getting sore and I'm not sure why coach hasn't swapped me out for another pitcher yet. It's a little too late now, and all I have to do is get the next two girls out. I'm so close to throwing a no-hitter, so I should be excited about this, right?

I'm not. The pressure is huge and I know my whole team is counting on me. My arm is tired and I'm not sure how good my throws are going to be.

I also haven't seen any sign of Lee. I guess we're really over.

I wish I hadn't given him that ultimatum. I wish I had kept my mouth shut when we fought. I want him back.

I know we're not supposed to carry our emotions onto the field, but I thought I was fine until now.

How can I pitch a perfect no-hitter while I'm this distressed? My heart is hammering away in my ribcage, an uneasy anxiety crawling up my throat.

The girl up to bat is large and muscular. I can tell that she's a power hitter, so I really need to watch out for this one. I can't let her get a hit or she'll knock it out of the park.

My fingers tighten on the ball and, with a well-practiced motion, I wind up and pitch it. My shoulder aches from going through the same motion so many times. I know I need a rest but if I can just stick it out with these last two, I'll be free.

The ball sails by the girl's bat, narrowly going over the top.

"Strike one!"

The rising tension from the stands is palpable out here on the field. The crowd's screams are getting louder and more excited.

I know I can't let them down, but I don't know if I can do any more of this today. I feel nervous to find out whether Lee was here or not. I haven't seen him and the confirmation of my fear that he wasn't watching is going to kill me.

I really thought we were a good couple. We both play sports so we're always busy, but at the end of the day we always have time for each other. We love as hard as we play, and there's no better feeling than coming back from practice and having him waiting for me. I don't know what I'm going to do without him.

Not now. I can't focus on that now. I need to stay focused on the game. I can cry and go through the heartbreak later, after this is all over.

I choke back my urge to cry and throw another pitch.

The girl's bat makes good contact with the ball and I feel my heart sink.

Well there goes every hope I had of throwing a no-hitter.

The ball sails into the outfield and one of the girls frantically runs to get it. She reaches her glove up to catch it in midair and it bounces out.

I slump a little. We almost got her.

This girl is a power hitter, but she's no runner. She's near first base and looks like she's going to try for second, but she's slow.

The girl in the outfield winds up and throws the ball to Temari on second.

She catches it and turns to face the runner. She's already back on first, safe for now.

Temari gives a dramatic roll of the eyes and tosses the ball back to me.

I catch it and start to feel nervous again as I turn around and face the batter.

This time there's a thin, short girl up to bat. She looks like a fast runner, but not a long-distance hitter. This'll probably be a ground ball or something, and if we play this right, we can get both players out and win the game! Ame has a score of zero; Konoha has one.

I feel the excitement and adrenaline pumping through my veins. I know that it's risky, but I'm going to let this girl get a hit. She's not going to make it very far, and we could get both girls out in one play.

I hope my executive decision doesn't let the team down.

It's not hard to throw a weak pitch; my arm and shoulder are killing me at this point. I'm going to need ice it when this is all over.

Her bat makes direct but not good contact with the ball and, as predicted, it only flies a few feet before rolling along the ground at high speeds.

I dive for the ball and stop it as it passes the pitcher's mound.

I've got it.

My head is throbbing and my ears are ringing, the adrenaline completely taking over my body. I turn onto my side and hastily toss the ball to Temari on second.

She catches it, gets the muscular girl out, and then whips it to first.

The girl on first is crouched, her glove open and ready.

The runner is speedy and this is getting so close that I can barely stand it. My heart is beating wildly and I'm nervous for the player on first base. The whole game is riding on her shoulders now.

Temari's throw makes its way into her glove and she turns to tag the runner.

The small girl slides, kicking up a huge cloud of dust. I strain to see what's happening, the anticipation making my stomach do flips.

The dust cloud slowly dissipates, and... Wait. Wait.

Our first base-player is touching the girl with the ball. Her leg is extended but fell just short of getting to the base in time.

She's out. _She's out_!

We won!

"Konoha University wins!" The announcer cries, his excitement audible.

It's hard to contain my squeal of joy, so I don't hold back. I run over to first base with the rest of the Konoha team, cheering loudly.

The audience is going absolutely wild and their cheers have grown to a deafening roar. Pretty impressive for a small crowd, if you ask me.

The whole team is hugging the girl and cheering and I join in. The happiness is short-lived, and though I'm ecstatic that we won, I can't help but feel nervous to confront this relationship issue.

If Lee is out there watching, then that means we're not over yet and we'll need to work things out. I can deal with that. I'm afraid to look because I don't want to find out that he's not there.

The team goes to the dugout and begins packing up their equipment. They'll probably want to go get a celebration dinner, but I'm not in the mood anymore.

I'm glad my relationship anxiety waited until after the game to fully catch up with me.

Now I'm shaking, trying to put my things in my bag without outwardly showing how upset and nervous I am. I'm failing miserably at hiding it. I know you can see the distress written all over my face.

I don't say anything else to my teammates because I don't trust myself to keep a steady voice. I pick up my bag and leave the dugout. This is the moment of truth and I know I have to look at the stands. If Lee came to the game, then he'll be there waiting for me.

I sigh and turn to look, my eyes scouring the stands in hope.

I want to see his goofy haircut and his dark eyes looking out at me. I want to see that horrible green track suit and those orange leg warmers that he sometimes wears.

But I see nothing but empty stands.

He isn't here.

My heart sinks and I feel sick. Well, clearly he made his mind up about us.

Tears well up in the corners of my eyes, a heavy guilty pang in my chest. Our fight was stupid and insignificant and I shouldn't have blown up on him like that. I want him back, I want him by my side. I don't care about whatever made me mad because the fear of losing him is so much greater.

I sniffle and attempt to keep the tears from leaking out of my eyes. I can't cry yet; not until I get back to my room. I turn and walk away, covering my face with my hands.

"Why are you crying, beautiful?"

I look up, my heart beating ten times faster than before. That voice...

My eyes widen at the sight.

It's Lee, standing there in a green Konoha University t-shirt and a pair of shorts. He looks concerned.

"Lee..." I cry breathlessly, launching myself at him. I nearly knock him over with the force of my embrace, but he stands his ground and puts an arm around me and begins rubbing my back softly.

My tears spill out and over my cheeks, leaving wet spots on the shoulder of his shirt. I clutch him close, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt.

"You made it..." I whisper, my voice full of relief. It feels unreal that he just appeared there, but I won't question it. He's here and I'm in his arms and that's all I care about right now.

"Did you really think I would miss your game?" He asks, resting a cheek against my head. He's taller than I am, but not by a whole lot. When I hug him like this, the top of my head meets him about mid-cheek. I'm at eye level with his neck.

I pull back and look at him. It's hard to see him through the haze of tears. "Well, after what I said to you..." I say.

He pulls away from the hug and gives me a sad, serious look. "You mean far too much to me, Tenten," he says. He's had one hand hidden behind his back this entire time and he's just now bringing it forward.

My eyes widen at the sight.

Flowers. He brought me flowers.

I'm not usually one for sappy romantic things, and Lee loves doing cheesy things for me. I am more than willing to forgive him for it this time.

"You're the best, Lee."

He pulls me into another hug and I just know that everything is okay.

* * *

**Next one up is chapter 11: Neji. I should be updating as soon as possible! I know you guys haven't heard much from Neji yet, and like in the real series, he's often busy with his responsibilities.**

**-Gallade**


	11. Chapter 11: Neji

**POV: Neji. Neji is a junior who majors in business and economics and minors in massage therapy. He's good at martial arts and often takes those classes to have some stress relief. He's also been an RA for two years now and is good friends with his cousin Hinata as well as her roommate Tenten.  
**

**Rating: T for language (I guess...?) Maybe this is only K+, who knows.**

**Genre: Mild humor (I think maybe?) and friendship. Shows a nice snapshot of Neji and his responsibilities at the college.**

* * *

Being an RA can be a pain in the ass sometimes. It's rewarding and it looks great on a resume, but sometimes I wonder if it's worth the bullshit people put me through.

Last year was chaotic and I was one of the RAs in a dorm of mostly freshmen. You can probably guess how fun that was.

I'm an RA again this year, and I don't think I would have kept the job if the benefits weren't so great. I get paid, I get my own room, and some of the room and board charges are waived. It makes it slightly more tolerable.

I don't mean to make it sound horrible. It really isn't that bad. I'm a natural leader, and I like solving problems and being in a position of authority. Plus, this year I'm the Konoha building 5th floor RA.

This floor usually has all upperclassmen, and most of the time they're quite respectful of one another. After all, no one is really going to be willing to live on the 5th floor of any building (without an elevator, mind you) unless they really want to be here. Residents of the 5th floor usually keep things pretty civil.

The key word there is _usually._

I'm on my way back from my nighttime judo class and there's nothing I want more than a hot shower right now. My long, dark brown hair is pulled back into a tighter-than-usual ponytail so it stays out of my face while the class spars.

I begin lugging my gym bag up the stairs, a few loose hairs sticking to my damp forehead. I feel like a huge mess after tonight's rigorous class and I'm extremely grateful that I'm not one of the RAs on duty tonight. I don't have to patrol or anything; I can stay in my room and relax and try to get some of my business homework done.

If anyone needs me, they can come find me in my room, but unless I'm called upon I don't need to go anywhere. It's a beautiful, rare thing. Just thinking about actually getting time to myself is making me smile, and anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I don't smile.

The name 'Neji Hyuga' and the adjective 'serious' go hand-in-hand.

I make it up to the fifth floor and begin walking to my room at the end of this first hallway here. I live a few doors down from my cousin Hinata and our friend Tenten. If I'm not enjoying quiet time to myself and I'm not doing something for school, then I'm usually with them. It's funny, really, because I used to dislike Hinata when we were younger. She's now one of my closest friends.

I unlock my door and head inside. The urge to sit down is so great, but I know that it'll be harder to get up and take a shower once I take a seat and get comfortable. I throw off my jacket, take the hair tie out of my hair, grab a towel, a hairbrush, and a bag to keep my stuff in, and go to get my shower caddy when I hear a knock at my door.

My shoulders slump a little (okay, a lot) and I know I have no choice but to answer it. One of the residents on this floor might need me.

I sigh, set everything down, and head over to the door. There's another knock, a little louder and a bit more urgent. I open the door and mentally prepare myself for whatever issue needs resolving.

It's Tenten and Hinata. Tenten looks a little frustrated and has her arms crossed. Hinata, the much more introverted of the two, looks sheepish, and I know that she thinks she's bothering me by coming to see me. I wish she would realize that it's never a bother to see her.

"Hey," I say. "What's up?"

Tenten looks cross and my heart sinks a little. They're not here to hang out or just say hey - there must be some sort of problem.

"It's our neighbors again," she says.

I sigh and shake my head, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. I should have guessed. Lately, the guys in the double next to Hinata and Tenten have been playing loud music and violating quiet hours.

"We... We asked them to turn their music down," Hinata said shyly, the worry apparent on her face. "But they laughed in our faces and slammed the door and turned it up louder."

I bring a hand to my - admittedly, very gross and sweaty and in need of a shower - forehead and sigh heavily. "What jerks," I say sympathetically. "Are they still doing it?"

Tenten makes a stern gesture towards their part of the hallway and I feel stupid for not having noticed before. I was so preoccupied with the thought of taking a shower that I failed to hear the obnoxious music that was shaking the walls. You can hear it loud and clear from my doorway.

"You're the RA," Tenten says. "Can you please go tell them to stop?"

I frown and head back into my room, grabbing my clipboard and paperwork and a pen. You know, just in case I need to document any behavior.

I meet the girls out in the hallway and the three of us head over to the room in question. There's no doubt about who is playing the loud music - it's so loud outside this particular door and I wonder why anyone would want their music this loud. It's not enjoyable.

I approach the door and turn to the girls. "You guys stay out here," I say. "There's no need to bring you two into this. They don't need to know who came to me and complained."

They nod and go back to my room.

I sigh, face the door again, and bring a fist up to knock. I tap on the door with my knuckles, urgent enough that they know I mean business but not forcefully enough to be unprofessional.

The music continues to play and I wonder if they even heard me over that racket. I knock again, louder this time. "This is your RA," I practically shout over the ruckus.

Suddenly the music stops and I can hear loud, worried whispers inside the room. I roll my eyes. Do they think I'm stupid?

The door clicks open and a male with dark hair answers. He looks nervous and is attempting to keep a straight face, as if I hadn't heard any of what was just going on.

"Oh hello, Neji," he says, clinging to the door. "What can I do for ya?"

I narrow my eyes and he shrinks down a little. I can see his roommate inside, looking a little more panicked than the one at the door.

"I think you know why I'm here," I say smoothly. "I've received a few noise complaints about this room."

The dark-haired one's eyes widen for a split second. "We had no idea," he lies through his teeth. "If we knew we were bothering anyone, we would have turned it down."

I click my tongue and hold up my clipboard, pen at the ready. The guy flinches.

"That's not what I heard," I say. "I heard that you were politely asked to turn it down, and instead you turned it up. Is this true?"

He pales noticeably and I have to hold back the little smirk that threatens to take over. They must really think I'm stupid.

"That's a lie!" He shouts, going to slam the door shut. I push against it with my arm and look at him sternly.

"I only came over here to ask you guys to turn down the volume," I say calmly. "But you're not cooperating and you're acting awfully suspicious. Is there anything else going on in here that I should know about?"

"Nope, there is nothing here," the guy urges.

"I'm going to have to come in and take a look around," I tell him. "If there's nothing in here that will get you in trouble, then there's no need to be nervous, right?"

I enter their room and immediately they're both acting jumpy and looking for something to do with themselves. They're trying to appear as natural as possible, but I can see right through them.

I glance around the room, hoping that nothing is here. I'm not out to get them, and honestly I don't feel like filling out all of the paperwork in the case that I do find something. I'm not looking for trouble.

Everything seems good until I notice a brown glass bottle peeking out of a plastic bag. I sigh and head over there, knowing exactly what I'm going to find.

Beer bottles. Many empty beer bottles. This bag must be their recycling.

I turn and look at the two of them. They look terrified and I know that I've seen something that they didn't want me to find.

Without another word, I approach their mini fridge and open it. Sure enough, there are several bottles of beer and some vodka in here. I shake my head and close the fridge door.

"How old are you guys?" I ask, approaching them with a hand on my hip. "Can I see some identification to prove that you're of the drinking age?"

The two of them become comically pale, and I know that I've caught them red-handed.

Neither of them reply and I hold up my clipboard. "Well, I'm going to need to document this," I say, filling out an incident report form. "You guys would have done well to just respect your neighbor's wishes and turn down the music in the first place. If I hadn't had to come over here, I never would have seen the alcohol."

I scrawl a few more things on the incident report, tear off a portion meant for the residents, and begin to make my way out of the room.

"Please," I sigh, hoping they see how stressed I am. "Just be respectful next time. Cooperate with your neighbors. We all live here together, so let's try to be more respectful of one another. I'll be back to confiscate the alcohol shortly."

I close the door behind me and head back to my room with a heavy sigh. I would have just let them off with a warning, but their suspicious behavior made me investigate. If they had just complied in the first place, this wouldn't have happened.

Ugh. I really don't like filling out incident reports. Now I have to bring the paperwork in to the head of residence life and go through all of this legal stuff.

I open my door and see that Tenten and Hinata are still here. They turn and look at me expectantly.

"Well?" Tenten asks.

"A simple request to lower the volume turned into a report for the underage possession and consumption of alcohol," I tell them, immediately going and gathering up my discarded shower things.

They get up and head back to their room, thanking me as I go.

I sigh and head to the bathroom.

I'm tired, stressed, and now I've_ really_ earned that shower, dammit.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! I like Neji a lot and I feel like he would be in a position of authority like an RA. **

**Next chapter is about Ino! Stay tuned and keep the reviews coming :)**

**-Gallade**


	12. Chapter 12: Ino

**POV: Ino. Ino is a sophomore majoring in psychology. She rooms with Sakura, her best friend and sometimes enemy. They live next to Temari and upstairs from Gaara and Kankuro. She has many friends, including the girls, Shikamaru, and Choji. She also has a thing for Sai and Sasuke.  
**

**Rating: K+**

**Genre: Friendship, hurt/comfort. This is a cute little snapshot of the friendship that Sakura and Ino have. Also, Ino is a psych major because she's good at getting into people's heads (see what I did there? Mind transfer jutsu? Hah... I'm so lame. I apologize).  
**

**I also wanted to write a shout out for one of my most dedicated readers :) thank you to Princesse-Diva for your immense support! It really means a lot to me that you leave so many constructive and encouraging reviews. You don't just say that you think it's good or bad, you also tell me why you think so and I love it. You are so awesome and I really appreciate it. Thank you!**

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How do I introduce myself without sounding too full of it?

Well, I'm gorgeous. I know that sounds silly, but when you've got natural beauty like I do, you shouldn't deny it.

I have long, silky blonde hair that I take really good care of. I have to pull it back or it gets everywhere, but I think the ponytail fits me better anyways.

I'm also a trendsetter and I love fashion. I should be a model. I'd be perfect for it.

I'd say I've got it pretty good.

But I'm not a model and I don't really know if I want to become one because of all of the judgment people pass. They'd see me and think "oh, she's blonde. She must be an airhead."

It's not true at all. I'm intelligent and that's why I'm going to college. I want to break the blonde stereotype that people have always attached to me. I want to go against the grain. I want to prove that I'm successful.

Case in point: I'm in my room alone and enjoying my free time. I've already finished my psychology paper and emailed it to the professor. Sakura, my roommate, should be back from her classes soon so I'm not going to be by myself for too much longer.

Sakura is rather successful too. While she doesn't have any of the fashion sense that I do (I'm still trying to get her to learn), she does have a lot of brains. She's really smart. I hate to admit it, but I know it's true so I'll say it - she's so much smarter than I am.

When freshman year started and Sakura was my roommate, we both wanted to do pre-med. I took a lot of science classes and we were together a lot of the time. It created a pretty bitter rivalry between us. We were constantly trying to best each other, and it really put a strain on our friendship. I was so jealous of how easily science came to her while I struggled to keep up.

I wish I could say that jealousy has died down. I've since switched over to psychology, but I still wish I was as scholarly as my roommate. People think psychology is 'easy,' and who knows, maybe they're right. But I'm not taking the easy path! I'm still working hard and I hate how much I have to struggle sometimes.

It bugs me how easily things come to Sakura. Sure, she works her ass off to earn such high grades, but the knowledge sticks with her. She always seems so smart and everyone at this college knows she's smart.

She's also driven. She knows exactly what she's going to do with her life. I'm still trying to figure it out. I feel lost right now because of my change in paths. I was so sure that nursing was for me, and when it finally got to a point where I could start learning it, I realized how bad at all the pre-med stuff I was. I didn't even enjoy it.

She's so sure of herself and I wish I was as sure of my path as I appear to be.

Just as I start to wallow in self-pity, the door opens up and Sakura walks in. She looks awful. Her cheeks are pink and blotchy, her eyes are red and puffy, and she has a pathetic look on her face.

Something's wrong - she's been crying.

I sit up on my bed and look at her, concerned. "Sakura...?" I ask tentatively. "Are you okay?"

She sits down on her bed, sniffles, and looks at me with sad eyes. She slowly shakes her head.

Now I'm worried. "What happened? Did someone hurt you? Did something happen?"

She nods slowly and sighs. "I just really don't want to be here right now," she says, her voice wavering.

"Like in this room? Or just 'here'?" I ask gently.

"Here," she says, laying down and rolling onto her side. She's facing the wall and away from me.

I gulp nervously. Sakura tends to close herself off from the world when she gets sad, and I don't want that to happen. She's too good of a person to feel this way. I know she likes some space when she's upset, so I don't ask many questions, but at the same time I worry. There's just a few more things I need to ask before I leave her be.

"Is it something I did?" I ask.

She doesn't turn away from the wall, but she shakes her head 'no.'

That only eases my worries some. She's not mad at me for anything I did, so I know it's not something I can directly fix. It's still a relief that she's not mad at me.

"Do you want me to stop asking you questions? Leave you alone?" I ask.

She nods and sniffles and I know I have to back off. I'll give her the space she needs for now.

There are a few things I know Sakura will never pass up, though, and even if she doesn't want to talk, I know she will always accept this.

I stand up from my bed and go over to my closet, looking for my box of cups and plates and things. I pull it down from the shelf, take out a ceramic mug, and put the box back.

Next I go over to my bed and start to look under it. I've got a secret stash of food that I keep for just such an occasion.

She can hear me shuffling around the room and I know she must wonder what I'm doing. Or maybe she already knows. The reason I know that this is the way to her heart is because I've done it before.

I pour in the powdered mix and add milk from my mini fridge to it. I pop the mug into my microwave and, while it's doing its thing, I go back to my fridge. I've got a bag of marshmallows hidden in here. That way, bugs don't get into it and they stay fresh. I also kinda like them when they're cold - it cools down the hot cocoa.

I stop the microwave before it beeps and pull out the mug. I stir it with a spoon, drop a few marshmallows in, and look at the steaming cup proudly.

Hot cocoa with marshmallows.

It smells so good and I know I don't need to say anything. I walk over to her side of the room and leave the mug on her desk. If she wants it right now, then she'll have it. If she wants to wait a little, then that's fine too. She knows it's there because she can smell it.

I go back over to my bed and sit down. I grab my laptop and open it up. Might as well busy myself with something. I'm not going to watch Sakura like a hawk - she'll come around when she's ready.

A few moments pass and she rolls over to face the desk. She smiles softly and looks at the cocoa before fixing her eyes on me. "Thank you, Ino," she says warmly.

"There's no need to thank me," I say from the bottom of my heart. Normally I like being thanked, but this is one thing I never need to be thanked for. I do it out of the kindness of my heart and because I love my best friend. I'd do anything for her.

"I'm sorry for acting so cold," she apologizes, sitting up and reaching for the mug I set down.

"So what happened?" I ask. "Are you okay?"

She smiles grimly. "I completely failed my orgo exam," she confesses, holding the mug in between her (undoubtedly cold) hands. She's always cold.

I give her a sympathetic look. "Did you get the test back?"

"No, we just took them today," she says.

"Then how can you be sure?" I ask, my tone light and not condescending.

"I just _know_ I did horribly," she whines.

I know this is not the time for an argument. She's probably being too hard on herself. She probably did just fine, but a traumatic test is a traumatic test and I don't argue with her. I'm here to help, not to hurt.

I get up from my bed and go over to my freezer. I've also got miniature chocolate bars stashed away for stressful occasions like this. I pull out a handful of them and bring them over to my roommate.

She looks at me through teary, thankful eyes, and no more words need to be spoken. With Sakura, chocolate always helps. I know her too well.

I sit down on my bed, a warm feeling spreading through my chest. It's a giddy feeling of realization.

I shouldn't feel so jealous of Sakura. She has it tough, too, and I think I know just what kind of path I want to pursue.

I'm very good at getting into people's heads, and expressing myself through the spoken word has always been a strong point of mine. When people come to me for advice (and they often do - they always have), I have a way of getting them to open up and speak.

That's why I'm now a psychology major. I know now that I want to go into clinical psychology. I'd be perfect for it and I love it. I'd still be helping people, just in a different way from nursing.

Just like I do with Sakura regularly. Most of the time there's a lot more speaking involved, but there wasn't much to talk about this time around. Nevertheless, I know how to help people with their problems and it's very rewarding.

Dr. Ino Yamanaka, clinical psychologist. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

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**Thank you for reading! I know this one was kinda lame... I apologize. **

**Next up is chapter: 13: Hidan (kind of a weird jump, I know, but I promise it'll be really funny!)**

**-Gallade**


	13. Chapter 13: Hidan

**POV: Hidan. Hidan is a senior who double majors in religion and anthropology. He's a loudmouthed guy on the swim team who swears like a sailor. He loves to party it up, but he also likes learning about other cultures and their religions.  
**

**Rating: Easily T/M because of Hidan's language and implied... things. Kind of a continuation of something from Deidara's chapter.**

**Genre: Humor. This chapter was just plain fun to write.**

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I just got out of my world religions seminar and I'm damn tired. I've had swim practice every night this week because sectionals are coming up, but tonight we're resting. All I can think about is how comfortable my bed will feel.

I'm on Konoha 4th, where my roommates and I live, and it's unusually quiet for this floor. I'm not used to being here at this time because swim practice is right after afternoon seminars end and I'm usually scrambling over to the pool so, I mean, what do I know? Maybe it's usually this quiet.

I round the corner and I can see our door.

I dig in my pocket for the room key as I walk and my stomach drops.

Dammit! I don't have my key. I must have forgotten it in the room.

I approach the door and pray that Sasori or Deidara is here. Maybe one of them can let me in.

When I get close to the door, I can hear some... peculiar... noises coming from inside the room. You know, bed squeaking, moans, that sort of thing.

I realize very quickly that I've been sexiled.

I can't help but smirk. Someone's gettin' laid. I'm nosy and I want to know which one of my roommates it is, but at the same time I would rather not hear either of them fucking with someone.

Still, curiosity gets the better of me and I press an ear to the door.

I hear a deep baritone voice and immediately recognize it as Deidara's. Hehe. I guess it's blondie who's gettin' some. He's been a whiny bitch lately and he needed a good fucking. Glad he's getting it out of his system.

My curiosity has been sated and I go to walk away, but another familiar male voice speaks up.

Sasori's in there too.

I take a step back and I hear a female giggle from inside the room.

What the fuck? Those lucky bastards are having a_ threesome_?! I would prefer to be with two girls, but man, an opportunity like that doesn't come often so obviously they were smart and didn't pass it up.

I could totally ruin the moment and pound on the door, but I'm feeling nice today. It's not every day that you get to have a threesome, so for once I'll let them have their fun.

Guess I'd better find something else to do until they're done. I don't know when that'll be, but this actually is a good opportunity to go address a problem I've had.

...

I finally make it to the building of student affairs and walk inside the heavy door. I'm going to see my favorite person. That's said with very heavy sarcasm, by the way.

I make a right and head for the business office. I need to talk to someone about paying tuition.

I enter the financial aid office and see a tall man with long stringy brown hair and tan skin. His greedy green eyes are always bloodshot, so the sclera look red. It makes him even creepier. He's the very person I came to talk to.

Kakuzu.

"Ah great, you're here," I drawl, getting his attention.

He sighs and turns to me. "What can I do for you, Hidan?" His voice is low and his tone is full of disdain.

I give him an obviously fake smile and give myself permission to sit in the chair he's got across from his desk. That's what the chair is there for, right?

"I'm pretty sure you know why I'm here," I say.

He rolls his creepy red and green eyes and sits down behind his desk. "Your payment is late," he says sharply.

"Yeah, yeah," I say flippantly. "I'm working on it. Money doesn't come easily, you know."

He narrows those creepy eyes and I give him a dirty look. "It comes easier if you're smart about it," he says pointedly.

I feel my blood start to boil already. You can only take so much of this infuriating man before you explode. He's testing my fucking patience.

"I'm damn aware of that," I say, raising my voice. "You think I don't _know _I owe the school money?!"

He rolls his eyes and goes to the file cabinets behind the desk. While he's busy, I lean back in the chair and prop my feet up on his desk.

He turns back around with a file in hand, and his eyes immediately focus on my feet before locking onto my face. He narrows his eyes at me and I respond with a shit-eating smile.

"Problem?" I ask.

"Two, actually," he says, sitting back down. "One, you should get your feet off my desk. Two, your socks and sandals make you look like a douche."

I raise my eyebrows and smirk. "Ohoho! Kakuzu's getting sassy!"

"Off the desk," he commands.

"Fine, fine," I say, taking my feet down.

He sets the file down and opens it up. "This is the payment plan you signed," he says, turning the paper around for me to see.

"Yeah? So?" I say. "I know I signed that thing."

He narrows his eyes more and points to a subsection of the guidelines.

"If you are late on your payments, you will receive a fine," he says.

I make a rude noise. "Isn't that a little backwards?" I ask. "I mean, if someone's struggling to get the money, why would you charge them more? They already can't pay the original amount!"

"I don't make the rules," Kakuzu says with a sneer. "Maybe if you actually paid attention to when it's due and budgeted better, you wouldn't be in this mess every payment period."

This man makes me furious but in a good way. I love insulting him because he sends the insults right back. It's kinda fun. It would be _more_ fun if it wasn't such a serious subject.

"I've always paid the bill in the past," I tell him. "It's not always paid on time, but I still get the money to you. You email me about it every fucking day until I pay the damn bill, so it's not like I could possibly forget."

"Language, Hidan..." He says in his deep voice. "You are pushing my patience."

"Whatever, Kakuzu. Listen, just give me a few days, okay? I should have a loan going through soon," I tell him.

He narrows his eyes, straightens the papers in my file, and closes the folder. "Alright, then. That loan had better come through or you'll be in even more financial trouble," he warns.

I stand up from his chair, straighten out my swim team jacket, and start to head out. "Yeah, yeah, just lay off my back, old man."

I can tell that he's rolling his eyes and I smirk as I leave.

"So you said you want me to email you about it? Is that right?" He calls.

I chuckle quietly and pretend I didn't hear his sarcasm.

...

I get back up to Konoha 4th and pray that my roommates are done with their threesome. I know I've given them plenty of time to finish.

I approach the door and test the knob.

Locked.

"Dammit," I growl. I pound on the door with my fist. "Open up, you guys!"

A few moments pass before the door opens with a click.

It's Sasori, and his brown eyes are wide with panic. "Hidan?" He asks incredulously. "Why aren't you at swim practice?"

I narrow my eyes and look at him. His hair is even messier than usual and his shirt is buttoned wrong. One side of his collar is upturned.

Sasori always wears button-down shirts and dresses all classy, so it's shocking to see him look this ruffled. I peer into the room and see Deidara, sitting on his bed and looking equally sexed up.

"There's no swim practice tonight," I say. Sasori steps aside and I walk into the room. He closes the door and heads back to his bed.

"I came back from class, heard you guys having a fucking threesome, and decided to deal with the financial aid office," I say, setting my backpack down by my bed.

Their faces drop and I have to fight the urge to laugh. Deidara's blush is bright and Sasori is avoiding eye contact. Why the hell are they embarrassed by it? They should be _proud_!

"So who's the lucky girl?" I pry, a devilish smirk on my face.

Deidara and Sasori share a worried glance.

"She wanted it to be a secret," Deidara says, folding his hands in his lap.

I groan loudly. I respect her right to privacy, so I won't ask any more. I'm still damn curious and I will find out eventually.

I rub the back of my neck and sigh.

"The next time either of you lucky bastards gets offered to be in a threesome, see if there are any girls for me."

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**Let me know what you think :) Review! And as always, thanks for reading.**

**Next chapter will be about Shikamaru **

**-Gallade**


	14. Chapter 14: Shikamaru

**POV: Shikamaru. Shikamaru is a sophomore double majoring in math and biochemistry and minoring in physics. He's lazy and lives in Konoha hall with his best friend Choji, who he's known since they were children. He's also really good at playing piano, and does accompaniment for choir concerts and other events.  
**

**Rating: K+/mild T for language? **

**Genre: I don't know what to call this. It's just a little snapshot in the life of Shikamaru.**

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I just want some goddamn peace and quiet for once. Is that too much to ask?

I'm starting to think it must be.

I can usually relax in my room, and Choji is pretty good about giving me quiet time when I need it. He's a great friend and he knows that I need to recharge my batteries every now and then.

But he's got Deidara and Sasori over right now so they can write a script for some theater class. It wouldn't bug me so much if I didn't want to nap right now. The reason they don't go to Sasori and Deidara's room is because Choj' doesn't like their roommate, Hidan. Can't say I blame him, really. Something about the guy really rubs me the wrong way.

But anyways, I also got out of there because I'm sick. My constant coughing is distracting to the other guys. I wouldn't want them to get sick. Besides, it's a gorgeous day with prime cloud watching weather out here. I've claimed my usual spot in a grassy field over on the lawn of Iwa building. Iwa is further from the center of campus than Konoha is, and so there's less foot traffic over here. There also happens to be a really nice lawn for no apparent reason.

I'm not complaining, though. The groundskeepers don't cut the grass as often here, so it's tastefully overgrown. I can lay among the long blades of green underneath the maple trees and just get lost in the relative tranquility.

I came here to nap because I wanted to just let go and relax, but I can never seem to get some quiet. Even when I'm sick, people just can't seem to leave me alone.

Just as I recline and close my eyes, the cool grass hugging me in, I hear a female voice call my name.

Dammit.

I sigh and keep my eyes closed. Maybe if I keep my eyes closed and pretend I didn't hear, she'll go away. She'll think I'm asleep and leave me be for now.

That wish is short-lived. Another female voice calls my name this time, sounding much louder than the other. I can hear footsteps coming my way, rustling through the long grass.

I try not to frown. _ Just pretend you're sleeping_...

As I feign sleep, my lungs and throat immediately protest and I can feel a cough threatening to burst forth. I try to suppress it but that only makes it worse. I choke on the itching in the back of my throat, and when I take my next breath I start to cough loudly. The effort shakes my entire body and I know they've seen me.

I sit up and look at the two girls through bleak (red, watery, itchy) eyes. It's Sakura and Ino.

"There you are," Ino says, folding her arms across her chest. She's giving me a disapproving frown and I sigh. What a drag.

"We've been looking for you," Sakura said, her light frown showing concern.

I sigh audibly and it sends me into another coughing fit, preventing me from responding.

Sakura gasps and kneels down beside me, resting a hand on my back. "You sound awful," she says.

"Gee, thanks," I croak, holding my chest.

I'm not really all _that_ sick. It's just a routine cold or something like that. It wouldn't bug me if I could sleep, but I can't. The damn coughing keeps me (and probably Choji) up at night. My head also hurts and I feel like ass. The worst will pass in a few miserable days.

Ino makes a rude noise and flips her ponytail over her shoulder. "I told you we'd find him out here, Sakura."

"Shikamaru, why are you trying to sleep out here?" The pink-haired girl by my side asks. "You're sick; you need to be in bed."

I roll my eyes. "Choji's doing a theater project with some other guys. I wanted to give them some peace and quiet. Now please leave me alone."

Ino kneels on the other side of me, an indignant look on her face. I sigh, knowing that I've only made it worse.

"No way. You're going to the med center," she says, grabbing a hold of my arm. "Come on."

She stands up and pulls me into a standing position. I wobble a little before regaining my balance. This damn cold is messing with my head and I feel woozy.

Sakura stands up and takes my other arm, and the two of them start leading me off in another direction.

"What the hell?" I cry. "Don't I get a say in this? I was trying to rest! It's just a cold; the med center can't do anything for me."

Ino tightens her grip on my arm, digging her neatly manicured nails into my skin. I hiss in and the influx of air makes me start another coughing fit. The girls stop walking and watch me as I hack out my lungs. Ino looks disgusted and Sakura looks concerned. I have a feeling she wants to practice some pre-med nurse stuff on me. Why am _I_ always the one stuck dealing with the troublesome girls?

"The people at the med center can make sure it's only a cold and nothing more serious," Sakura tsked.

They start dragging me along as soon as I stop coughing and I roll my eyes once again.

"So how did you know I was here?" I ask.

"Choji told us," Sakura explains. "I went over to see if you had done the organic chemistry homework yet and you weren't there."

"But Sasori and Deidara _were_ there," Ino interjects dreamily.

Sakura shoots her a dirty look and I chuckle. At least I'm not the only one disgusted by Ino's desire to fuck everyone she deems 'hot.'

"Anyways," Sakura begins pointedly, "he said you were sick and that you had gone out to nap. I know your usual place is over here by Iwa, and your coughing was a giveaway."

I roll my eyes. Okay, so it's not a bad thing they found me. I can stop complaining to myself. Choji cares about me and so do the girls. They're looking out for my health and I can appreciate that.

Not to mention the fact that Sakura might be playing nurse and giving me unnecessary amounts of care, and Ino might play along. They'll wait on me hand and foot and I won't have to lift a finger.

I think I could get used to being treated like that. What can I say? I'm lazy.

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**I'm sorry for the short chapter :( Also, it seems like I can never write good chapters for my favorite characters... I don't know if it's because I've exhausted my writing about them or if I just can't think of a good enough prompt**

**Anyways, up next is chapter 15: Sasori**

**-Gallade**


	15. Chapter 15: Sasori

**POV: Sasori. Sasori is a theater major and history minor. He's a strong actor who also greatly enjoys the art of puppetry. Skilled in carpentry, he also assists in the building of sets and props for theater. He lives in a triple with Deidara and Hidan.  
**

**Rating: K+/mild T? There's a bit of crude language  
**

**Genre: Personal victory? I don't even know. You know how some colleges now have those anonymous crush confession pages on Facebook? Well I decided to go on that route for this chapter. Sasori moderates the page and sees a rude post about himself.  
**

* * *

I stretch and sit down on my bed, my laptop in hand. I haven't been able to unwind like this lately with all the work I've been putting towards my senior thesis and everything. I'm in charge of putting on a performance of Hamlet by Shakespeare, and it's been a lot of work overseeing everything as well as building the set and playing one of the lead roles. Tonight's my free night and it's going to be all about me.

Well, sort of. It's about me reading the anonymous confessions of others.

I lean back and open the laptop screen. I turn it on and listen to the hum of the internal fan as the computer warms up. I know I've been neglecting this and it needs to be done.

Lord knows why I agreed to moderate the "Konoha University crushes and confessions" website, but I did. The old moderator graduated and passed on the duties to me. Now I get to read the emails and post peoples' anonymous confessions about others. No one knows that I'm the one in charge of the page.

The laptop screen lights up and I immediately punch in the password. In a few seconds, I'm opening the web browser and typing in the confessions page URL.

I know the website has become quite a hit with the students on campus. Everyone awaits the next confession post and no one knows when the newest one will be posted next. I guess everyone secretly loves a little gossip.

Most of the time the confessions are harmless, like "so-and-so has a nice ass," or "I wish that blonde-haired cutie in my math class would talk to me," or something like that. There are so many people that get excited when a new post is up because they want to see if it's about them.

There's a policy about posting mean or hurtful things, which is why there's someone in charge of previewing the posts. That someone would be me.

I hate how ironic it is right at this moment.

After I've logged in as the admin, I see the familiar box appear next to the messages. There are lots of posts to be made.

I open the folder and immediately my heart drops.

There's one with my name in the title. Either someone has something to say about me or they know that I'm the admin. I click on the message and it pops up.

I squint at the screen and lose any hope I might have had about it being a good confession. It's a nasty, hateful post.

"Sasori Akasuna is so gay. I heard he tried to suck his own dick once but it was too short for him to reach. What kind of man plays with puppets and does theater? A gay one."

My face is extremely hot and I know the color must be rivaling that of my hair. None of this is true but it's still got me upset. This post is incredibly homophobic and ignorant. The word gay shouldn't be any more of an insult than calling someone "straight" or "human," yet people throw it around all the time.

And why do they automatically assume I'm gay if I do theater? That doesn't even make sense. It makes me wonder if someone found out about me being bisexual, but there are only a handful of people I've entrusted that information to. Actually, the only person here who knows is Deidara, and I know he sure as hell wouldn't tell anyone. He's also got a lot invested in that secret.

I blink a few times and read the post again. I feel like I must be imagining this. There's no way that someone could have said something this mean.

But of course they did. I want to believe that everyone is a good person, but some people are just cruel. There's no denying it. The world is not a perfect place and there are people who like to bully others just for the fun of it.

It's disgusting to think someone would legitimately want this posted to the page. Even if the moderator _wasn't_ me, I'd like to think this wouldn't make it past this point. I know I wouldn't allow anything like this if it was about anyone else, either.

I frown and read it one more time. I don't know why I do. I know it'll only make me more upset.

My face burns brighter, but I can't tell if it's more from anger or from embarrassment. I don't know where this person could have possibly gotten the idea that I tried sucking my own dick. (Besides, it's _not_ too short for anything, thank you very much.)

I let out a tense stream of breath from pursed lips as I try to calm myself a little more. I push away the desire to find out whoever sent this because I know it won't help anything. For one, they'd find out who moderates the page if I approach them. News would travel like wildfire. They'd also get pleasure out of knowing that it bothered me, and I'm sure that's exactly what they wanted.

I let out another careful, controlled breath. I'm going to be the bigger man and ignore it. I'm sure it will really bother this person when their post never shows up, and that's a victory in itself.

I smirk and hover the mouse icon over the "delete" button. With a satisfying 'click,' the hateful post is gone.

This is indeed a victory for me.

* * *

**I wish this was a little longer, honestly. I know it's sorta weak, so I apologize. Up next is chapter 16, Kisame.**

**-Gallade**


	16. Chapter 16: Kisame

**POV: Kisame. Kisame, a senior, is a biology major with a focus on marine biology. He is also a sword enthusiast and is a key swimmer on the men's swim team. He has a sickly pale complexion that makes his skin look grayish-blue, so he's a bit sensitive about that. He lives with his one close friend Itachi in Konoha building.  
**

**Rating: K  
**

**Genre: Just a small, mostly reflective piece. Small bit of dialogue with Itachi, but that's it. Kisame reflects on life and his luck in romance when he reads a post about himself on the Konoha confessions webpage. Illustrates his friendship with Itachi and is partly inspired by the Omake in which Deidara points out his weird skin color.  
**

* * *

My biggest pet peeve is judgmental people. I just want to put that out there. I've received nothing but harsh glares and judgment my entire life.

You see, I'm deathly pale. So pale, in fact, that my skin looks like an ashy gray-blue color. I could have gotten lucky and been pale as snow like my roommate Itachi - or his brother, Sasuke, for that matter - but no, I'm blue.

I've been called a monster before.

I know it doesn't help that I tower over everyone else at 6'4". I also have strange (I prefer unique) eyes and I'm rather muscular. Oh, and my teeth are razor-sharp.

Still, even "monsters" have feelings. I wish everyone would realize that. I shrug off the insults and joke about it to get by, but on the inside it hurts.

I've made light of the fact that I look sort of shark-like. Sharks are my favorite animals and I'm studying to become a marine biologist, so it could be a lot worse. At least I resemble an animal I love.

A few years ago I got tattoos of gills on my shoulders and on my cheekbones. I know it's sort of crazy and I'm probably only encouraging the label "monster," but it felt like the right thing to do. I've fully embraced my shark-like appearance.

I shouldn't complain. I'm really only bringing it on myself at this point. I let the insults slide right off my shoulders like raindrops. Sure, I might get temporarily soaked, but in the end I dry off and move on with my life.

I also really love the water. Not to brag or anything, but I know I'm one of the best swimmers Konoha University has, besides Suigetsu of course. I swear that guy is actually part fish. But enough about him - I've even gained a reputation as a shark in the pool. Swimmers from other schools fear going up against me at swim meets because they don't stand a chance.

I'm a pretty self-assured individual. I'm confident about everything.

Everything, that is, except for my skin color. I don't know why that's such a sore spot for me, especially when I've pushed my shark-like appearance further.

I guess it's got something to do with women. As confident and independent as I am, I'm still human. I still have feelings and I still desire human companionship. It would be nice to have a girlfriend. At the very least, it would be nice to have a girl look at me the way she might look at anyone else. I want someone to see me for who I am and not as a repulsive sub-human creature.

Itachi doesn't even know how lucky he's got it. Or maybe he does and chooses to ignore it. Who knows? In any case, he has countless admirers and he rarely acknowledges any of them. And of course people find him attractive - who wouldn't? He's tall, pale, and handsome. He's brilliant at everything he does, too. He's a psychology major with a perfect GPA of 4.0. Actually, it's probably closer to 4.3 because he always gets A pluses. Personally, I think it's because psychology is such a comparatively easy major, but I know that's not quite it. The man's a genius.

He also participates in a couple community service clubs, is the president of a martial arts club, plays first chair violin in the orchestra (I play cello, but the ladies still only see _him_ as the musician here), and he sings in the choir. He has plenty of other talents too, but I know he doesn't want to spread himself too thin with all the different activities and classes he takes.

I must sound bitter, but really I'm not. He's one of the only people I can call a real friend and I respect all of his talents. After all, I have my own things to worry about and I have no time for petty jealousy.

I lay back with my laptop on my stomach, my head propped up on a pillow so I can see. It's pretty late at night and I've finished all of the work I care to do right now. I'm about to get to bed real soon, but first I'm unwinding by checking my email and doing a bit of web surfing. Itachi's over on his bed writing an essay. The steady, rapid clicking of his fingers on the keyboard is actually a pretty relaxing sound in this otherwise quiet room.

I log out of my email and type in the URL for the Konoha confessions page. I don't know why I'm doing this because I usually don't care for idle gossip and I know no one ever writes about me, but there's still the small bit of hope that my name might appear.

Also, I like annoying Itachi by reading the posts about him aloud. He knows I only do it tastefully and I stop if something will seriously bother him, but it's pretty uncanny that half the posts are about him. He doesn't check the page ever, so I relay the relevant posts to him.

I chuckle as the page loads, a recent time stamp indicating that there are new posts to be read.

"Hey Itachi," I begin. "Have you checked the confessions page in a while?"

I know he hasn't, and he doesn't, but I use that as a way to lead into reading the posts aloud.

"As a matter of fact, I have," he responds coolly. I look over at him in shock. His pale face is nearly blue in the artificial light of the computer screen, his dark reddish-blackish eyes focused intently on whatever he's working on.

"You have?" I repeat in disbelief. Itachi _never_ bothers checking this website.

"I looked at it earlier. There are seven new posts," he reports, as if he's trying to prove that he read it. "Two are about me, four are negligible or vague, and the seventh is about you."

My jaw falls slack even more. "What?" I ask, turning my head and frantically scrolling down the page. He's right. There are seven new posts in total. One is about how someone wants to get tangled up in Itachi's long hair and one is about how his eyelashes are nicer than those of the (presumably female) person who posted it. There are four I skip right past, and sure enough, one has my name. It sticks out like a signal for me to read it.

_"Ugh, that Kisame is so sexy! I can't seriously be the only one who thinks so, can I? He's a freaking swimmer, for crying out loud! He's also hilarious and smart. I want him to put those muscles to good use on me."_

A pink tint fills my ashy blue face, my black eyes widening considerably. This must be some kind of joke. There's no way this person (whoever it is) actually feels this way about me.

"Itachi, _you _posted this about me," I accuse. "There's no way someone actually wrote this. You're just messing with me to make me feel better about myself."

His dark, piercing eyes leave the computer monitor and stare directly at me. "Why would I bother doing that?" He asks simply. "I have no reason to pretend to be your secret admirer."

I frown a little and sigh. He's right. He isn't the type of person to mess with me like that. He wouldn't want to get my hopes up for nothing. He's a rather straightforward and caring person, even though his seemingly cold exterior suggests otherwise.

Still, it's a little fishy (hehe, fishy, get it?) that he checks the page on the one day there's something about me. I'll chalk it up to coincidence.

I reread the post, a goofy grin taking over my face. I've been told my smiles are unnerving and creepy, and I know it must be true because my pointed teeth show. If anyone saw me smiling at the computer like a psychopath, they'd run away with their tails between their legs. I look downright scary, I know I do.

This is making me giddy. I know there must be someone out there who thinks I'm attractive. I don't need anyone else's approval to feel good about myself, but this sure helps.

I want to find her, whoever she is. I'm not going to hunt her down because, frankly, that's creepy. If things are meant to be, then I'll find her in due time. Especially if she really _does_ feel this way about me. She might even find me first.

I close my laptop and set it down on the desk beside my bed. Laying back, I let out a contented sigh and feel myself smiling.

For a monstrous blue-skinned shark man, I'm feeling really good about myself right now.

* * *

**That's it for this chapter! I really like Kisame as a character and I do wish there was more love for him. But anyways, the next chapter (featuring Itachi) should be up soon. Thank you so much for reading :)  
**

**-Gallade**


	17. Chapter 17: Itachi

**POV: Itachi. Itachi is a senior who majors in psychology and lives with his close friend Kisame. He is brilliant and prefers to keep to himself for the most part, but he is also involved in many activities and groups on campus. He plays violin, sings, and is president of the psychology club (among other things). He maintains a nearly perfect GPA and has a lot of admirers, and for good reason.  
**

**Rating: T/M for language.  
**

**Genre: Drama/family/conflict/something. Itachi goes over to Oto building to have a talk with his younger brother Sasuke. It's a bit tense but Itachi handles it calmly like the boss he is.  
**

* * *

I'm walking with purpose today. It's not often that I get into confrontations, but this time I feel it's necessary.

I have a few things to set straight with my brother Sasuke.

As I make the rather long walk over to the Otogakure building complex, I think about how the conversation will go.

Doing this makes me very uneasy, but it must be done. Sasuke is behaving - for lack of a better descriptor - like a douche. He's ruining the Uchiha name.

I don't usually care about reputations or public images, but he's gotten to the point where it's embarrassing that he's related to me.

I take a right-hand turn and see the building complex in the distance. I don't have a key, so with some luck I might be able to follow someone else in. I hope that someone's heading that way, and I hope Sasuke is in his room right now.

This is his sophomore year here at Konoha University. Our parents both work for the college, so tuition is greatly discounted. That's why I need to talk to him - his recent behaviors could put mom and dad's jobs on the line if he keeps it up.

During his freshman year, I figured his behavior was a product of wanting to try everything that many college kids do. You know, alcohol, sex, drugs... all that jazz. With his newfound freedom I think he got a little carried away. He quickly developed a reputation as a heavy drinker and a party person.

I know that's not really the person he is. Or, at least, I hope that's not the person he's permanently become. Sasuke has always been easily influenced by his surroundings and I know he isn't surrounding himself with the best people.

He plays on the soccer team and hangs out at the gym a lot. Normally I'd say those activities are perfectly fine, but he managed to find the worst people in those places to associate with. I know I'm not his babysitter, though, nor do I ever get this involved in his life. Usually I would ignore his poor behavior.

Last night he was caught with alcohol and drugs, or so I heard. His RA told Sasori to tell me. I know it's too soon for an incident report to be officially filed yet, and I hope that with a little persuasion I can talk some sense into this kid.

His risky behaviors are putting his entire college career on the back burner and at risk. His grades are slipping and he could get kicked out of the school if he keeps it up. How would that reflect on mother or father? Not well at all.

I walk across the Oto lawn with no one else in sight. Figures. I will have to wait for someone to enter or exit the building, and I have no idea when that could be. I stand by the door and fold my arms.

This isn't the first time Sasuke has been caught violating rules, either. I honestly don't know why Kabuto hasn't already reported it, but then again he_ is_ one of the worst RAs there is in my opinion. He's a slime ball with nothing in mind but his own intentions. He's cunning and has a way with words and negotiations, and I think he must have used his words to slither his way through interviews and into the RA position.

During his freshman year (my junior year), Sasuke and I both lived in Konoha building. He often partied and I heard about his actions through others. Reports went from "oh Itachi, your little brother goes here too? He looks just like you! How adorable!" to "Itachi, your brother is nothing like you. He's a major douchebag."

Usually when multiple people hold the same opinion about someone, there must be a common denominator.

Sasuke's violations went from noise complaints to... other things. He would get drunk at parties, treat everyone like shit, and somehow stumble back to campus only to make an even bigger scene, harass some people, and then get violently sick all over the bathroom. Worst of all, he shows no remorse for any of his actions.

Even with all of his douchiness, he still has some fans. I guess it goes along with being a good-looking athlete. There are still plenty of students who overlook his terrible attitude and see only the "hunky soccer star with the muscles," as I heard one girl call him.

I pace nervously by the door. I must seem like I'm up to no good by loitering here. _I_ wouldn't even want to let me in if I lived here.

I turn and look around. It seems as if there's someone walking this way. If I'm lucky, they'll let me in. Many people here know who I am, and if I explain that I needed to talk to Sasuke I'm sure they'd understand.

As the distant figure gets closer, I see a flash of light. It's a reflection of the sun as this guy pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Kabuto.

I'm not really that fond of him, but at the moment I'm happy he's here. He can let me in. He doesn't even really need an explanation as to why I'm here.

"Hey, Itachi," Kabuto's voice calls as he approaches me. "You need to come in?"

"Yes please," I say. Kabuto jogs over to me, his grayish silvery ponytail swishing from side to side. He digs in his pocket for a second and pulls out a ring of keys.

"You're here to talk to Sasuke, then?" He asks as he fumbles with the lock on the door.

"I am."

I watch him somewhat impatiently as he takes his sweet time opening the door. It's like I said, I'm not too fond of Kabuto and I'd really rather not be in his presence for too long.

Finally the lock clicks open and he holds the door open for me. "After you," he says.

I nod courteously and step into the building complex.

"Let me show you to his room," he says, shutting the door behind him.

"That's quite alright. I think I can manage," I say, itching to get away from him. "Second floor, right?"

Kabuto narrows his eyes at my rejection of his invitation. "Right," he says in a less-than-happy tone.

"I don't want Sasuke thinking you called me over to talk to him, that's all," I reason. "The last thing I need is for him to think I'm treating him like a child."

Kabuto rubs his neck sheepishly and I know he realizes I'm not trying to be outwardly cold.

I give him a nod and a wave goodbye and begin to ascend the staircase to the second floor. This is a rather large part of the building and I can see why Sasuke opted to live here. It's farther from campus security and I know Oto is the "party" building for that reason.

The stairs take me up into the second floor lounge. It's large and modern-looking, but it's also a little worn-down from use. My eyes warily scan the place as I walk through and down another hallway. I'm going to pretend I didn't see that suspicious-looking stain on the carpet.

Thankfully there are name tags on the doors, so I can find Sasuke's room with just a little effort.

After searching side hallway after side hallway, I finally find it. The door says "Sasuke" and "Jugo" on it. It's next to Suigetsu's single room and across from Karin's. I know those are his friends and they all chose to live next to one another. This is definitely it.

I bring my fist up to the door and lightly rap on it with my knuckles.

After hearing nothing, I begin to suspect that he's not home yet. He might be in class or at the gym or something.

I sigh and turn to leave when I hear movement in the room.

Pausing, I watch the door expectantly.

"What do you want?" I hear a voice call from the other side of the door. It's definitely Sasuke.

"Sasuke, it's me," I respond, knowing that he'll recognize my voice.

The door flies open and he's standing there, glaring at me. "So it _is_ you," he sneers. I figured he'd be less-than-thrilled to see me.

"Thanks for the warm greeting," I begin sarcastically. "May I come in?"

He doesn't look amused. "You're kidding," he says flatly.

"I have to talk to you," I say, making my way into his room without an invitation. I know he'll slam the door in my face if the conversation doesn't go his way, and I know it won't.

"Who said you could just barge in here?" He cries, watching me as I walk into his room and sit on his bed. "Get out!"

I look at him seriously. "I promise I won't stay for long. I just wanted to talk to you about something."

He reluctantly shuts the door and walks over to sit beside me. He's wearing an indignant expression. He looks pouty and childlike.

"Is this about last night?" He asks, frowning at the corner of the room and avoiding my eyes.

"Kabuto informed me that something happened," I say. "Care to explain?"

"Kabuto is an asshole," Sasuke spits. "I thought RAs were supposed to keep this shit confidential. Goddammit, I can't even fuck up without you hearing about it! I'm so sick of you always intruding on my life!"

I frown lightly. "Please, Sasuke, there's no need to use such language. I'm only here to talk. I'm not going to scold you."

He shoots me an evil glare and says nothing. He doesn't need to; his look of hate says enough. He wants me out of here and out of his life.

"You've changed," I say softly. "What happened to the Sasuke I used to know?"

His eyes seemingly glow red with rage. One very cool thing about us Uchihas is that we have a unique eye color. It changes between black and reddish in color, much like hazel eyes seem to change colors. The appearance of a reddish tint in his eyes shows me how frustrated he is with me. I stare in displeasure at the glints of metal in his nose, his left eyebrow, and in his lip. I was never a huge fan of the piercings he got during his 'rebellious teenager' phase.

"You said you _weren't_ going to scold me!" He shouts.

"I'm not scolding you," I say. "I just want you to be...careful. You're here because you earned a soccer scholarship and because mom and dad work for the University. Don't forget that those things can be taken away. I'm concerned."

He groans. "Well stop being so concerned! I don't need you always butting into my life."

"Sasuke..." I sigh, feeling a headache forming. "Can you please just think rationally for a second? This isn't just about you. I'm concerned about your health, yes, but your behaviors might have detrimental effects on mom and dad. Did you ever once think that your misbehavior could cost them their jobs?"

"You're such a self-righteous prick," he hisses. "You think you're so high and mighty because you're looking out for me? Because you're looking out for _mom and dad_? You're not just saying this because of them! I know you're embarrassed by me."

I open my mouth to say something but I can't think of a way to respond to that.

In a way, he's right. His actions have made me feel a bit of embarrassment. Now that he's said it out loud, I feel ashamed of myself.

"God forbid your embarrassing little brother taints your perfect reputation," Sasuke continues, a spiteful snarl in his voice. "Perfect Itachi can't have anyone ruining his image, now, can he?"

"What do you mean?" I cry, raising my voice a little.

Sasuke stands up from the bed and throws his hands over his head. "I hate you," he screams. "You've made my life a living hell, Itachi!"

My jaw drops open and my usually cool and calm exterior melts away.

"I've been living in your shadow for too long, you asshole," he continues. "Do you realize what you've been doing to me? This is all_ your _fault!"

"How is-?"

"Shut up!" Sasuke screams, his eyes wide and crazed. He's absolutely livid with emotion. "Just shut up! Damn!"

I close my mouth and listen. If he needs to scream at me to get it all out, then I will let him. This is more talking than we've done in a long time.

"Everyone expects me to be just like you," he seethes. "They think I'm going to be your carbon copy. They think I'll get straight A's and glide through life effortlessly like you. Well, I'm _not_ you, I'm me! I'm Sasuke! _Sasuke_!"

Now I understand why he's acting out. He's trying to stand out and show that he isn't like me.

He's absolutely right. I feel sick for not realizing it sooner. In a way I've been the bad guy here. I've set an impossible standard that everyone expects Sasuke to reach for the sole reason that he's my younger brother.

He must be compared to me all the time. I see why he's so upset, now - I would hate being constantly compared to someone else. He wants to be seen as his own person, not as "Itachi's little brother."

"Sasuke..." I begin, reaching out a little. "I never realized how much I've hurt you. I know there's no real way to make it up to you, but..."

"I hate you," he repeats, staring at me through vengeful eyes. "I hate you! Don't even think you can try and make this up to me because you can't! The damage is already done."

"You don't hate me," I say, standing up. "If you want me to leave, then I will, but I _know_ you don't hate me Sasuke. We were very close until a few years back. I see now that I'm the one to blame for our distance. I would like to make things at least cordial between us."

Sasuke crosses his arms and pouts again, looking very much like a five-year-old. I suppress a chuckle.

"I miss you," I say gently, the words coming from the depths of my heart. "I miss the way we used to be."

His eyes - now back to charcoal black - are glistening in the light and it looks like he's about to cry.

"Just... Just leave already," he says, the words getting caught in his throat. He's trying to hide the fact that he's tearing up. "Get out of here!"

I begin to walk toward the door as requested.

"You know," I begin, looking back at him. "I _do_ miss you. I'm not going to force you to make up with me, but I would like it if we tried to pick up where we left off."

He walks over to me slowly, looking at the floor. "Just get on with it and go," he urges. His voice is sheepish and I hope that maybe - just maybe - he's considering making up.

"Goodbye, Sasuke," I say, opening his door and letting myself out of the room. "Oh, but one more thing..."

His eyes widen and he looks confused.

I bring my index finger to his forehead and poke him lightly, just as I always did to him growing up.

He looks at me through childish eyes and I know that I will be forgiven in time.

A warm smile stretches the corners of my lips upwards. "Brothers?"

He rolls his eyes and gives me a sulky look.

"...Brothers."

* * *

**There you have it :) I'd like to think that they'll work on building up their brotherhood after this. Stay tuned for chapter 18 - Lee. It's a lot more lighthearted, which is good after the last few serious entries.**


	18. Chapter 18: Lee

**POV: Lee. Rock Lee is a junior at Konoha University. He's an education major and health and nutrition minor, with the intention of becoming a gym teacher or personal trainer. He plays soccer and is on the track and field team, and is dating Tenten. He was paired to live with Sai freshman year and the two have lived together ever since. Lee probably isn't the best person for Sai to learn 'normal' behavior from...  
**

**Rating: K**

**Genre: Cute friendshippy thing. Illustrates his close relationship with Coach Might Guy. This is lighthearted, humorous, and was kinda fun to write. It's also really short**

* * *

There is one more lap to do and then practice will be done. I hate this part so much. Why must there be an end? If it was up to me, I would make track practice a few hours longer!

I am rounding the last turn and I can see the end in sight. Coach Guy is standing there with a stopwatch in hand.

I wonder how I am doing with time - I know I have set a good pace for myself, but there is no telling if I have beaten my record.

I pick up the pace and sprint the last length of straight track.

I speed past Coach Guy and he blows his whistle to signal the end. I slow to a walk and then turn around, my hands over my head.

"Well?" I ask Guy. "How did I do?"

He looks happy for a second and then quickly corrects his facial expression into a frown. I am puzzled. Did I not do as well as he expected of me?

"Is there something wrong?" I ask.

He walks up to my side and crosses his arms. "Lee," he begins sternly, "you only beat the record by two seconds. I know you can do better than that."

I straighten my back and puff out my chest in a sort of salute. "I beat the record?! I mean - of course, Coach!" I cry. "I promise to do better next time!"

He chuckles and flashes me an award-winning smile. His perfect pearly-white teeth glisten and he gives me a thumbs-up. "That's my boy," he says, clapping me on the back. "I know you will work even harder at the track meet. You'll crush the competition and show them that you are Konoha's green beast! Trained and honed by the handsome devil himself, Might Guy!"

I nod fervently and feel my chest swell with pride. Coach Guy is my role model. He is everything I aspire to be - tall, muscular, handsome, athletic, talented, youthful... the list can go on and on.

"I will make you proud!" I cry, making a determined fist.

"I bet you will, Lee," he chuckles. "I bet you will. I _would_ say that you're the best athlete I've ever trained, but one must remember to be humble. There's always room for improvement! At the very least, you're the most hard-working."

I look at him with wide eyes. "Oh, no, coach Guy," I begin, shaking my head. "I am most definitely not the best athlete. There is one other - my rival!"

"Which rival is this, now?" Guy asks me. "I know Naruto is your rival in love and Neji is your ultimate rival, but who is your rival in sports?"

"It is Sasuke Uchiha!" I exclaim. "He is on the soccer team like me. Everything comes easily to him, and I have to work very hard to meet his level."

Guy chuckles merrily. "Good ol' Kakashi..." He says.

Kakashi Hatake is one of the soccer coaches as well as an English professor. He teaches creative writing among other things. I frown lightly at the mention of him. What does he have to do with my rival?

"What about Coach Kakashi?" I ask.

"Ah, Lee, my beloved student," Guy says, bringing a hand to my shoulder and smiling reminiscently. "Kakashi and I go way back. He and I are still rivals to this very day."

My eyes widen even more. "I did not know that!"

"In our youth we were very much like you and Neji or you and Sasuke are," he continues. "He was always better than me at everything and he didn't even need to try. It was disheartening at first, but I quickly realized that it's a learning experience!"

"It most definitely is," I agree. "My rivals push me to try my hardest in hopes that I can surpass them. I know that I will eventually become better and stronger, but even when that _does_ happen I will still strive to improve!" By the end of my statement, both fists are clenched and my eyes ablaze with passion.

"That, my dear Lee," Coach Guy begins, "is the secret of youth. Hold onto that philosophy and you will become just like me! I can see it happening already."

I gasp and feel my eyes tearing up with hot, passionate tears. Coach Guy has just given me the ultimate compliment! How can I not begin to cry?

"Coach Guy..." I sniffle.

"Lee..." He sniffles back, turning to face me.

"Oh Coach Guy, I promise to uphold this philosophy forever!" I bawl, tears overflowing and streaming down my cheeks.

Guy wipes his eye and puts an arm around my shoulders. "Let us have a good manly cry," he says. "A toast: to youth!"

"To youth!" I shout.

* * *

**That's it for this short silly chapter! Thank you for reading :) Up next is chapter 19 - Gaara.**

**-Gallade**


	19. Chapter 19: Gaara

**POV: Gaara. Gaara is a sophomore who majors in english with a concentration in folklore and mythology. He rooms with his older brother Kankuro (a junior) in Suna building. He is somewhat withdrawn and is always busy doing his schoolwork. Though he comes across as scary or intimidating, he is a real nice guy. He likes to do homework with Sakura because they live in the same building. It's just a nice quiet environment. He also sings bass in the choir.  
**

**Rating: Oh, definitely M. There's a lot of language and sexual content (yeah, something you wouldn't expect from a chapter about Gaara and homework, right?)**

**Genre: Humor, friendship. Gaara, Sakura, Kankuro, and Ino are all hanging out. Ino has the brilliant idea to play 'never have I ever.' **

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"_The sage of the six paths separated the ten tails into nine different tailed beasts so that, when he died, its horrible power would not be unleashed upon the world again_."

I pick up my pad of sticky note flags and carefully remove the top one from the stack. I place it just under the page number in the top corner, the little neon paper extending past the page so that I know exactly where to look when I come back to this.

I'm reading a book about the tailed beasts for my mythology class and I'm thinking about incorporating this into my next creative writing assignment.

According to legend, any one of these nine tailed beasts could be sealed into a person's body. The host, called a jinjuriki, would then be able to wield the power of the tailed beast with its cooperation. I think I'm going to write my next story about a character who is a jinjuriki. I think I can relate to it at least somewhat.

This person would definitely feel like an outcast of sorts. Having a powerful monster inside of you and receiving nothing but hatred from others is something I can relate to... sort of.

I've been regarded as a monster before. I know what it feels like to have everyone hate you.

My mother died giving birth to me. She had no trouble with my older sister, Temari, and my brother Kankuro was another easy birth. I was a C-section, but something went wrong and they couldn't save her.

My father blamed it all on me. He hated me from the moment I was born, and somehow in his mind I became the monster that killed his wife. For the longest time I blamed myself, too.

He turned to alcohol to try and cope with the loss of mother, or so I heard from Temari. I was too young to really remember him becoming an alcoholic. I _do_ remember him always drinking, though. He never cared for me as a baby, so those duties were left up to my siblings. I don't think I can ever thank them enough for that.

When I was just five, our father got into a car accident. He ran a red light and was t-boned by a truck. He died instantly.

They said he was so drunk that he couldn't have felt it, but I don't know if they said that just because we were children and they thought the story needed sugar coating.

It was at that point when my brother and sister started to hate me too. First I took Mom's life, and then I indirectly took dad's. They feared me and believed that I would bring death along with me wherever I went.

They helped raise me simply out of obligation, not because they wanted to. I know they probably wanted me gone.

I guess you could say that I can relate to a fictional jinjuriki. I know how it feels to be shunned, to be feared.

To feel utterly and entirely alone.

"Gaara! Are you even listening?"

Kankuro's voice snaps me out of my thoughts and I turn to look at him.

I'm hanging out with Sakura and Ino in their room, doing homework as I always do when I'm here. Kankuro hangs out too, sometimes, though he's rarely as productive with his time as I am.

Sakura and I like to do homework together. We're in completely different courses and majors and everything, but we still enjoy each other's company. I like doing homework up here in her room because it's a nice, relaxing atmosphere. Sometimes I need to get out of my room and have a change of scenery and this is perfect.

Sakura is sitting on her bed and I am in her desk chair beside the bed. Ino is over on her own bed and Kankuro is sitting in a beanbag chair on the floor.

I look up from my book and see my brother looking at me rather impatiently. I blink a few times. "I'm afraid I wasn't listening," I tell him. "What is it?"

He rolls his eyes. "I asked if you were hungry," he says. "I'm starving and Ino says she could stand to eat something. How about you?"

I frown lightly. "I'm not particularly hungry," I say. "I ate dinner sort of late tonight."

"Fine..." Ino grumbles, looking down at her colorful magazine and flipping the page. She's on her stomach, the magazine laying open in front of her. I can't see the cover, but I can tell that it's one of those magazines with the skinny photoshopped lady on the front, complete with little blurbs surrounding her. You know, things like "lose 15 pounds this month!" or "5 tips for the greatest sex you've ever had," or "are you ready for bikini season? See the hottest swimsuit trends this year!" and other useless crap like that.

Kankuro has his massage therapy book spread face-down on the floor. He was reading at one point before he stopped. It's like I said, he's never quite as productive in here as I am. He and Ino tend to become chatty while Sakura and I do our work as intended.

Then again, he doesn't exactly have much to do right now. He probably needs someone to practice a massage on someone.

Kankuro and I have gotten much closer to one another. We're roommates now and I like it. Our close sibling relationship makes up for any negativity towards one another during childhood.

"Wanna order a pizza?" Ino asks, looking up from her magazine.

"Hell yes!" Kankuro exclaims, punching the air with his fist. He looks excited for all of two seconds before his expression falls and he sighs. "...Does anyone _have_ money for a pizza?"

I bite my lip and say nothing. Instead, I open my book and make sure I look busy. I have some extra pocket money right now because I just got paid a few days ago. I work in the school bookstore, you see.

I'm not going to let them know I've got the money for a pizza because, frankly, I'm not willing to spend it all on something I won't even be eating.

I concentrate on the pages of my book, but I can feel two pairs of eyes on me. Ino and Kankuro are staring expectantly.

I sigh and look up, shutting my book loudly. "Don't look at me," I say. "I'm not buying pizza."

"Sakura?" Ino practically sings. Sakura has been silent for pretty much this whole time. She's absorbed in whatever biology or chemistry work she's doing.

I look at my pink-haired friend and see her look up from the page. She seems a little exasperated.

"Guys, I don't have the money," she says, shrugging apologetically. "Not enough for an entire pizza, anyways. We'd need to split the cost."

Ino makes a 'duh' gesture and clicks her tongue. "Well _of course _we would, forehead. So, you in?"

Sakura brings a hand to her stomach and frowns a little. "I _am_ hungry..." She admits.

Sakura has been looking a little thinner lately. I've noticed it. She's already a very thin girl and I hope she's not trying to lose weight like she has in the past. She's fine as she is and I worry about her health. I also wonder if it's stress-related. It's important that she eats.

I roll my eyes and sigh in defeat. I guess if three out of the four of us want food, then I'll oblige.

"I guess I can split the cost too," I admit.

Kankuro stands up from the beanbag chair and does some dorky little victory dance. I don't know what he's so excited about - it's just pizza. Then again, I'm not nearly as much of a fan of it as he is.

"I'll call," he says, whipping out his cell phone and dialing up a number.

"Wait," I say, holding out my hand. "I hope you guys are paying too."

Kankuro ignores me and smiles. "Yes, hello, can I get a large with um..."

He covers the speaker and looks out at us. "What do we want on it?" He asks.

Sakura shrugs. "I'm fine with anything," she says.

Ino looks thoughtful for a second before opening her mouth. "Spinach and artichokes," she says excitedly.

Sakura makes a face. "Scratch that. I'm not fine with anything. Artichokes are nasty."

"I fucking hate spinach," Kankuro says, faking a gag. "What about pepperoni? Is everyone fine with that?"

"Nooo!" Ino cries, standing up. "Can we _not _have pepperoni please?"

Kankuro makes a face at her. "You can pick it off," he says pointedly.

She gives him a glare and a pout. "No I can't! It'll still taste like pepperoni," she whines.

Kankuro rolls his eyes and uncovers the phone speaker. "Yeah, sorry about that," he says. "Can we get a large with half pepperoni and half plain cheese, please?"

Ino folds her arms and walks back to her bed, a victorious little smirk on her face. Pepperoni sounded okay to me, but queen Ino always gets her way and we'd be damned if the whole pizza had pepperoni.

"Twenty minutes?" Kankuro parrots. "Sounds good. Uh-huh, yeah... Suna building... Room 314... Cash... Alright. Thanks! Bye."

He hangs up and smiles at us. "The delivery guy will be over in about half an hour," he reports.

I nod to show that I heard him. I pick up my book and begin to read. Maybe I can focus on the reading a little more now that the pizza nonsense is over with.

I open to the most recently flagged page and pick up where I left off.

"_The sage of the six paths, Hagoromo, then sealed the body of the ten tails in the moon_."

Below that is a picture of what the ten tails is fabled to look like. It's terrifying and grotesque and for a moment I'm very thankful that this creature does not actually exist in this world.

I read a few more paragraphs and mark a few more passages when Ino's voice distracts me.

"Hey Sakura," she calls, looking in our direction. "You're an Aries, right?"

Sakura nods, not once looking up from her work.

"Well," Ino begins, "your horoscope for this month says you'll have communication issues with a friend, but towards the end of the month everything will work out and something new and exciting will come into your life! Ooh! It also says you should watch out for the color red."

I frown at Ino. This horoscope stuff is silly. She can't _really_ believe it, can she?

"Gaara's hair is red, better watch out!" Kankuro cackles, slapping his knee as if he's made the greatest joke in the world. "Whatcha gonna do to her, Gaara?"

I furrow my brow and bring the book closer to my face. "Nothing, Kankuro."

"What's my horoscope?" Kankuro asks Ino. "I'm a Taurus."

Ino scans the page excitedly, her cerulean eyes glittering. "Taurus... Taurus... Ah! The headstrong Taurus' hard work will finally pay off if he or she can overlook something from the recent past. Stop the stubbornness and allow your mind to be open just this once - you won't regret it."

Kankuro looks confused. "Well that's not very fun..." He grumbles. "I was hoping it would say something about love."

I raise an eyebrow and look at my brother. Sometimes I wonder if he realizes how desperate he sounds. It's not a pathetic desperate. He means well and I think he's just a little hurt by the fact that he's often overlooked. He feels left out.

"Oh shut it, puppet boy," Ino says rudely. "I don't need a horoscope to tell you that you're not getting any for a long time."

Kankuro's cheeks burn a hot, embarrassed pink. "Hey!" He cries. "You don't know that!"

"Oh yeah?" Ino taunts. "Well, mister hot shorts, care to tell who?"

Kankuro's cheeks remain pink and he says nothing. He's avoiding looking at her.

Ino looks smug. "That's what I thought," she says assuredly. "I-"

"Guys, please," Sakura interrupts, holding out a hand. "Just cool it, will you? I'm trying to get some work done here."

"Sorry, Sakura," Kankuro apologizes. "We don't mean to be disruptive."

I wholeheartedly agree with Sakura, but at the same time their bickering has become a normal thing and I've gotten used to it. It's always just some silly banter and I know they never seriously fight with one another.

I look back down at my book and reread the last paragraph. I don't even get through the first sentence when Ino speaks up.

"Wanna play 'never have I ever'?" She asks, sitting up on the bed and leaning forward excitedly. She has a devious little grin on her face and the back of my neck prickles in alarm - she's up to something.

"'Never have I ever'..." Kankuro repeats. "How do you play?"

"Well, I guess I'm not getting any work done tonight," Sakura sighs disappointedly. She sets the book she has in her lap down on the desk and leans forward as well.

"So you'll play?" Ino asks excitedly.

I look at Sakura in confusion. She doesn't seem thrilled but I'm guessing she's doing this because Ino will make it happen whether Sakura wants to or not. Agreeing will only make this go by smoother.

"How do you play?" Kankuro asks again.

Ino's eyes brighten and she laces her fingers together. "You hold out all ten fingers. Someone will say "never have I ever..." and finish the sentence with something they've never done. If you've done what they haven't, then you put one of your fingers down. The first person to put all ten fingers down is the winner. It's usually a drinking game, but that's not gonna happen tonight."

Sakura sighs and looks up at the ceiling. "If you can even call it _winning_... It gets pretty sexual pretty quick..." She laments. "You're supposed to keep your opponents from putting fingers down by saying something you don't think they've ever done, but this always ends up being a 'who's done what with who' game."

"Sounds like it could be fun," Kankuro agrees. "I'm in."

Sakura looks at me, pleading with those bright green eyes of hers. "C'mon Gaara..." She says. "This game isn't really fun with only three people."

I sigh and set my book down. I guess one game couldn't hurt. Besides, with Ino here I'm pretty sure it'll end quickly. I'm not saying that to comment on her sex life because, frankly, I don't know about it. I say it just as a general comment. She's the biggest risk-taker out of all of us in here and she suggested the game. She's probably done a whole bunch of adventurous things.

"I guess I can take a break..." I groan.

"Fingers up," Ino instructs. We all hold our hands out, ten fingers up.

"I'll go first," she continues. "Hmm... Never have I ever enjoyed taking a test."

"You've got to do better than that," Sakura jokes, putting a finger down.

"Nerd," Ino shoots back. "We're going clockwise. Kankuro's next."

Kankuro smiles. "Let's see... umm... Never have I ever given a blow job!" He cries all-too-loudly.

My eyes widen. "Kankuro!" I exclaim, shocked. "Do you _want_ to turn this sexual? How immature."

"He's right, you know," Ino says with an evil little smirk on her face. "You'll lose this game real quick if it goes that way." She very obviously sticks out her hand and puts down a finger.

Sakura sighs beside me and I don't want to see if she's put a finger down or not.

It's my turn now and I want to steer this back in a cleaner direction. I'm not prude or anything, but I don't know how willing I am to reveal what I've done or - even worse - find out things about Sakura, Ino, or Kankuro that I don't want to know.

"Uh..." I begin. "Never have I ever regretted getting a tattoo or piercing."

I've got a tattoo of the kanji for "love" on my forehead and I don't regret it one bit. I know it's a rather risky location for a tattoo, but everything about my appearance is a bit edgy. My sea-green eyes are outlined in a thick ring of black eyeliner and I've got a ton of piercings. I have snakebites in my lower lip, a nose ring, and many many ear piercings. Those are just the visible ones, too. I've got a few more tattoos and piercings that most people don't know about.

I glance around the room and see that no one's put their finger down. I sigh.

"Hm..." Sakura ponders. "Never have I ever travelled to a different continent."

"No fair!" Ino whines. "You know I want to go traveling. I haven't done it yet!"

Sakura smirks at her. "That's the point, isn't it?" She taunts. "I knew you haven't done that yet and I'm making sure you don't win."

Ino gives her roommate an unnerving glare and I know we're in for it now. I brace myself for what's about to come out of her mouth.

"Never have I ever found it sexy if someone talks chemistry with me," she says in a sharp but knowing tone of voice. Sakura's eyes widen perceptibly and her face blushes a charming pink color. I realize that Ino's just taking stabs at her now.

Sakura puts a finger down and avoids eye contact.

Kankuro snorts loudly and immediately puts a hand over his mouth. "I'm sorry," he apologizes. "I don't mean to laugh, it's just... _chemistry_? Bahah! Hey, are you made of Barium and Beryllium? Because you're a _BaBe_!"

Sakura snorts and her blush deepens. She's trying to hide the laughter and smile. "Cheap shot, Ino," she mutters through the laugh.

"My turn now!" Kankuro says. "I like this game - it's fun. Hm... Never have I ever cried over an anime."

I shoot a sharp glare at him and know that he directed that at me. He's following Ino's lead and taking personal jabs at me. Sakura was right - this game gets dirty real fast. He's fighting dirty here.

I put a finger down and - thankfully - Sakura puts another finger down too. I'm not alone in this.

"Never have I ever had my roommate walk in on me while I'm masturbating," I fire back at him. I'm usually not one to fall victim to silly games like this, but he's asking for it.

Ino snorts and slaps a hand to her forehead. "You _would_."

That shuts him right up and his face turns a deep red color. "Dammit, Gaara," he mutters, putting a finger down.

"Don't mess with me," I say. "Or that's what you'll get."

Sakura adjusts her legs and sits pretzel-style. "Never have I ever drunkenly made out with someone," she says. I frown a little and look around the room.

Ino puts down a finger and rolls her eyes. "You just won't let me live that down, will ya forehead?"

"I practically had to peel you off of that one guy," Sakura jokes.

Now I know what she's talking about. At one of Naruto's parties, I distinctly remember her being drunk off her ass and making a complete fool of herself. After Sakura removed Ino from that guy Tamaki, the blonde promptly began to dance... suggestively... until we dragged her back to Suna building.

"Oh yeah? Well you shouldn't have given me a reason to step up my game, forehead girl," Ino warns. "I've got a whole bunch of dirt I can dish out."

"When did this turn into a game of extreme humiliation?" I ask aloud. "We're all friends here. There's no need to be revealing secrets. We all have them, yeah, but we've also trusted others not to tell."

Sakura is looking at me in something that resembles admiration. "Exactly," she agrees. "I'm sorry for bringing that up, Ino. Let's keep each other's secrets instead of telling them, okay?"

Ino looks thoughtful and for a moment it seems as though she'll agree.

But then she opens her mouth and completely throws that idea out the window.

"Never have I ever had to buy a B-cup bra," she says slowly, each word carefully weighted with equal amounts of confidence and the desire to even the playing field. "Not past the age of twelve."

Sakura gasps and unconsciously folds her arms across her chest. "That was a low blow, Ino," she says. She waves around the remaining finger on her hand - the middle one - and gestures with it in Ino's direction before putting it down.

I glance around the room to gauge where everyone is in this game. Sakura's got five fingers down, Ino's put down a measly two, and Kankuro and I are tied with only a single finger down. For once I'm completely content with losing a game - winning isn't really much of a win when your secrets are at stake.

"Hey..." I say. "Is it really considered winning if you have to reveal embarrassing secrets to put fingers down? That sounds more like losing to m-"

Kankuro chuckles and leans forward with his hands on his knees, interrupting me. "Never have I ever had a bad hand job," he says. I groan and roll my eyes. Leave it to my sexually charged brother to steer this game right back to perversion.

Ino scoffs. "I think you added an extra word," she teases. "You meant to say "never have I ever _had_ a hand job," am I right?"

Kankuro's face returns to that same pink color as before and he frowns. "I said it exactly how I meant to say it," he urges. I see Ino put down another finger and, while everyone's distracted, I put down another finger in shame.

"Never have I ever cheated on anyone," I say. I glance around the room and see that no one else puts a finger down. Well, that's nice to know. Cheating isn't cool.

Sakura clears her throat and ponders for a second. "Hmm..." She says, using her fist to prop up her chin. "Never have I ever kissed a teacher," she says finally. Her knowing smirk tells me that she directed that at someone.

Sure enough, Ino puts a finger down and smiles coyly.

"Who?!" Kankuro cries, looking at Ino incredulously.

"I'm not telling," Ino teases. "It was only once and it's not like we had a serious thing going on. I don't want to get him in trouble with the school, either."

I nod slowly. Fair enough, and it's nice of her to at least care about his job at the school. I still don't know how I feel about it though.

Ino twirls her long blonde ponytail around her index finger and bites her lip thoughtfully. I widen my eyes ever so slightly as I wait for the - surely horrible - thing she's about to say.

"Never have I ever popped a boner in the middle of class," she said finally, glancing first at Kankuro and then at me. I feel my face get warm. She was aiming that at us guys.

I see Kankuro put down a finger and shut my eyes as I put a finger down as well. That's so embarrassing... I mean, it's not like we can help it, either. It just happens sometimes.

I open my eyes a crack and see Kankuro's cheeks tinged with a little pink.

"Both of you?!" Ino squeals with delight. She begins to laugh at our misfortune and I sigh.

Kankuro turns to her, his mouth falling open and his brow creased. "Hey!" He cries. "It happens! It's just part of being a dude - you can't control random boners!"

"Keep it down a little," Sakura urges. "You're practically shouting."

Ino continues to laugh and Kankuro leans forward in the beanbag chair. He's growing more agitated and it's only encouraging Ino's teasing. "Quit it!" Kankuro shouts. "Don't laugh at me."

Ino sticks her tongue out at Kankuro and he folds his arms huffily. "Never have I ever been a bitch!" He cries.

"Oh c'mon, Kankuro," Ino taunts. "You make this too easy. You're always a bitch."

Kankuro groans loudly and throws his hands in the air.

"Never have I ever played with puppets," Ino shoots at him.

I put my hand down and furrow my brow a little. I glance at Sakura and see that she's given up too. They're just keeping this between them. They're arguing and insulting one another through the game.

"What, is there something wrong with puppets?" My brother asks, agitated.

"I stopped playing with dolls in grade school," Ino shoots back. Her smirk is a dead giveaway - she's really enjoying this.

"Oh yeah?" Kankuro shouts, standing up from the beanbag chair and balling up his fists. "Well, never have I ever had a one night stand! Never have I ever had a pregnancy scare! Never have I ever gone anal!"

"Quiet down!" Sakura cries, a worried look on her face. "All of Suna can hear you."

There's a knock at the door and every one of us stiffens up a little.

"Must be the pizza," Ino says in a tiny voice. Her cheeks are dusted with pink and I wonder if Kankuro's rapid-fire insults finally got to her. I don't know if any of those accusations are true, but even _I_ feel embarrassed because someone else was bound to hear my brother.

Like the pizza guy.

He's probably standing there thinking we're all nuts.

There's an awkward moment where none of us do anything except sit there. Finally, I give in.

"I'll get the door," I say.

The tension and awkwardness is palpable. I open the door and see a guy around our age standing there with a pizza box. He's got white-blue hair and slanted purple eyes. He grins at me and a single sharp tooth peeks out from the side of his mouth.

Suigetsu.

"Hey," I say. "How much will it be?"

His smile drops and he looks serious. "That'll be $10.50," he says, holding out a hand.

I reach in my pocket and wonder if Suigetsu heard any of what Kankuro said.

I pull out a wad of cash and count out $14. I give it to him and tell him to keep the change.

He grins and says thanks.

As he turns to leave, I feel somewhat relieved. I don't know if he heard or not, but he seems to be oblivious.

"Oh, and if it makes you feel any better," he begins, turning to look at me. "I haven't done those things either."

My eyes grow wide and I can feel my cheeks practically bursting into flame. _I'm not the one who said those things, dammit!_

He chuckles and tips his hat before leaving.

I've never wanted to slam a door so hard before.

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**That was Suigetsu's guest appearance. I don't know, I think I want to write a chapter or two about the Naruto-Universe members of Taka. Sasuke's friends in this AU. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Reviews are always welcome :) Next is chapter 20 - Kankuro. After that I only have the last chapter - Temari**

**-Gallade**


	20. Chapter 20: Kankuro

**POV: Kankuro. Kankuro is a junior majoring in art (with special interest in puppetry) with a massage therapy and biology double minor. He rooms with his younger brother, Gaara. He has become good friends with Sakura because of biology classes as well as the fact that she is friends with Temari. He often hangs out in Sakura and Ino's room when Sakura and Gaara do homework together. He also sings baritone in the choir.**

**Rating: K. It's a light cute fic**

**Genre: I don't know what to call this? It's like a little snapshot of Kankuro's night. He feels left out but it turns out cute? I don't know. Kinda cute friendshippy thing. This chapter is so short, so I apologize.**

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"Alright, everyone, I think that about does it for tonight," professor Yamato announces. He's got a bright, excited smile on his face as he glances around the recital hall at each of us. "Remember to show up around 6:30 for warmup. The concert starts at seven."

I tuck my sheet music neatly into the folder and close it up. I don't actually need to look at it for anything but measure numbers during rehearsal. I've had the music memorized for weeks now and the choir concert is coming up real soon. I'm pretty excited for that.

Professor Yamato clears his throat. "Oh, and be sure to thank your peer Shikamaru for agreeing to play piano for us again," he says, gesturing towards the sophomore sitting at the piano bench. He turns and looks at him. "Shikamaru, it's always a pleasure."

Shikamaru rolls his eyes and smiles lazily. "It's troublesome, but I enjoy playing for you guys."

Shikamaru is incredibly good at piano. He plays accompaniment for the choir concerts so that professor Yamato, another accomplished piano player and musician, can focus on conducting.

It's funny, really. There's a group of professors here who get together to play music for events. I know professor Yamato plays cello and piano and can also provide vocals for anything that might need it. He has a wonderful voice. Kakashi Hatake, one of the English professors, plays violin, and professor Umino is really good at the flute.

The choir begins to disperse and I step away from the other baritones.

I look around to see where my brother - and roommate - Gaara is. I spot his bright red hair and see that he's over talking with Shikamaru and Choji at the piano.

He actually looks like he _wants _to be talking to them, which is surprising. Gaara's more of a quiet guy than anything, and he prefers to keep to himself most of the time.

I sigh and scour the dissipating crowd for my sister Temari. I guess I won't bother Gaara when he's actually feeling social for once.

I see Temari, an alto, over talking to Sakura in the soprano section. Kiba, a fellow baritone, is walking over to join them.

I feel my mood fall a little. The crowd clears up as some of the other singers leave. I feel alone - everyone around me has left or has someone else to talk to, and I'm standing here by myself.

I'd say that I expect it by now, and I do, but it still stings a little when I think about it. Even Gaara - the more antisocial, closed-off one of us - has more friends. They actually _want_ to talk to him.

I kind of feel like I always get the short end of the stick.

I have two siblings blessed with good looks and I'm average at best. Temari has blonde hair and mom's teal eyes. Gaara's appearance is distinctive and appeals to a lot of women.

I have plain brown hair and plain eyes and a big nose. Nothing special.

I'm also the middle child. You don't really know how much it sucks unless you're a middle child too.

I also get picked on a lot, but I have thick skin and I don't let people's insults get to me.

Not much anyways. Or, at least, I try not to. I tend to be a little hotheaded when the teasing gets to be too much.

I have a little bit of a "middle child" complex going on, but that's not important.

I sigh and turn to leave. "I'm going back to the room, Gaara," I mutter just loud enough for him to hear.

He turns and looks at me, his sea-green eyes narrowed ever so slightly. He looks concerned but he's not about to argue with me. "Alright," he says, sounding unsure. "Are you okay?"

I grumble a barely-audible 'yeah' and turn to trudge away.

"Where do you think you're going?" My sister's voice chuckles.

I turn and look at her. She's looking at me, a smug little smirk on her face. Sakura's looking at me in concern and Kiba's wearing his usual goofy grin.

I shrug apathetically. "I dunno. Back, I guess."

"We were going to grab smoothies from the café if you wanted to join us," Sakura says with a friendly smile.

A smile tugs at the corners of my lips and I feel my feet taking me over to their little group.

Why am I being so sulky? I have friends!

I'm the only one standing in the way of being social. What was I thinking? I shouldn't think that I need an invitation to hang out with them! They care about me and I care about them.

And isn't that enough?

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**I don't know, I like Kankuro. I wish he'd be included more. I say I like him and then I proceed to write the shortest chapter for him T_T**

**Anyways, I'm so sorry for making everyone wait so long for this! That was horrible of me. College is just so crazy and I'm graduating in a matter of weeks! I should have way more time once graduation happens, but senior year has been a huge blur. Stay tuned for the last chapter I have written - chapter 21: Temari**

**-Gallade**


	21. Chapter 21: Temari

**POV: Temari. Temari is a senior on the softball and basketball teams. She is a confident and determined student with a go-getter attitude; majors in history with a minor in international studies. She rooms in a single but lives in the room right next to Sakura and Ino. Sings alto in the choir**

**Rating: K+? maybe a little more. There is some mild swearing**

**Genre: Cute friendship/minor romance. You'll see. This was honestly a fun, sweet chapter to write  
**

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This thesis is getting done this weekend or I swear I'm going to punch someone into the wall. Or maybe I'll punch a hole through the wall. Yeah, that sounds better.

It's 10:30 on a Friday night and I'm in my room huddled under a blanket because the heat isn't quite working yet. I think my eyes are starting to fry because I've been staring at the computer screen for so long. My hot cocoa supply is also dwindling.

This isn't what I'd like to be doing on a Friday night, but my sense of responsibility (and my anxiety) is much stronger than my desire to goof off.

I reread the next sentence and make a face. I want to change the wording but I don't quite know how to phrase it the way I would like.

The sound of typing fills the room, my fingers clicking on the keys.

The sound of the keyboard is interrupted by a completely different sound.

My stomach.

I put a hand to my stomach as I feel it growl. I'm really hungry. I haven't eaten much today because I'm determined to finish this thing. But I know that the hunger will keep distracting me until I eat something, and I can't afford to be distracted.

I sigh and throw the blanket off my shoulders as I stand up off my bed. I shiver as my skin hits the cold air of my room and head to the closet to grab a sweater.

I choose one and slip it on, feeling the warmth envelop me already. The weather is getting to be more winter-like and at night the temperature falls a lot. I have no clue why the college hasn't turned on this dorm's heat yet.

I open my door and wince at the light coming from the hallway. Jeez, I feel like a cave creature or something. Has it really been that long since I left the room?

I turn to the room next to mine at the end of the hallway and knock on the door.

Sure enough, Sakura answers with a puzzled look on her face. This quickly changes to excitement when she realizes it's me. "Temari!" She exclaims.

"Temari?" Ino's voice calls from in the room. I hear bed springs creak and Ino appears at the door. She looks delighted. "She's alive!" the blonde jokes.

"What's up?" Sakura asks, opening up the door and inviting me in. "Taking a break from the thesis?"

I continue to stand in the hallway and smile. "I'm hungry. Does anyone else want to go to the café with me?"

Ino's cerulean eyes light up and she hops in place. "Ooh! Yes, count me in!"

Sakura chuckles. "Sounds good to me too," she agrees. "Just let me grab some money and a coat."

"I have to put a coat and shoes on too," I say, heading back to my room.

I put a medium coat over my sweater, slip into a pair of boots, and shove a slouchy blue knit hat over my gross, unbrushed hair. I should probably fix it, but I don't have it up in my usual hairstyle and I know I should really take a shower instead of covering it up. There's no time for that, though. We're just going to the café.

It's not like we'll see anyone there.

...

"Oh, great, it's you three," his lazy voice drawls when we walk in.

And of course when I figure I won't see anyone there, the one guy I _want_ to look pretty for is the one who's working.

"Oh, shut up you lazy asshole," Ino counters jokingly, immediately going up to the counter and leaning on it. She's got this shit-eating smile on her face and she's looking right at him.

Shikamaru.

He rolls his eyes at her and turns to a doorway behind the counter. "Hey, Naruto," he calls. "Some weirdo just came in. Can you take her order?"

Ino scoffs lightly. "Some _weirdo_?" She cries.

"Why me? Why can't you do it?" A shrill but familiar voice whines. The whisker-faced blonde walks through the doorway, carrying a huge bag of something. Looks like coffee beans, maybe. "You've already got me doing the heavy lifting!

His defiant facial expression softens when he sees that it's us and he gives us an excited smile. "Oh, hey, it's you three!" He says.

He then looks confused and turns to Shikamaru, setting the heavy sack down behind the counter with a grunt. "You said there was a weirdo in here," he says, puzzled. "Sakura's not _that _weird."

Sakura's face grows red and she storms over to the counter. "What did you say?!" She growls, picking Naruto up by the collar.

His face pales and he gives an undignified squeal as the pink-haired girl miraculously lifts him by his shirt. "N-nothing, Sakura," Naruto hurriedly tells her. "I didn't say anything! Wow, you sure look pretty today."

"I was talking about the blonde-headed demon," Shikamaru says, gesturing at Ino.

Sakura sets Naruto down and gives him the evil eye as she's pushed away by her blonde roommate. She's now hanging over the counter, hissing at Shikamaru's cheeky remark.

I sweatdrop as I watch all of this unfolding. Maybe I should have come to the café alone.

Shikamaru and Ino bicker and take stabs at each other all the time, just like an old couple. They have a long history that goes back to their childhood, and it makes me feel a little insecure when I watch them interact.

Shikamaru and I don't have that long history, and I often wonder if he maybe has a thing for her instead.

"So, did you guys come here just to annoy us, or are you actually going to get coffee?" Shikamaru drawls.

"I'm taking a break from writing my thesis," I reply, approaching the counter.

His eyes settle on me and he tries to look as indifferent as normal. He doesn't smile often, but when I do get to see a rare 'Shikamaru smile,' it makes me happy too. He's smiling at me through his lazy chocolate-brown eyes and it's cute.

He just looks adorable in his uniform. I know he probably hates it, though.

He's wearing a black polo shirt and khakis underneath a green apron. His hair is tied up into his usual short, spiky ponytail, and he's wearing a green visor to match the apron. Naruto's wearing the same uniform as Shikamaru, but I don't know... It looks better on the lazy genius. I might be biased, though.

"How's the thesis coming along?" He asks me, seeming genuinely interested.

"It's coming along great," I reply with a smile. "I've only got a little left to revise."

He smiles and walks over to the espresso machine. "That's so great!" He replies. "How about a coffee to celebrate? It's on the house."

"Free coffee?" Ino cries excitedly.

"Not for you," Shikamaru shoots at her.

My heart skips a beat and I keep a calm exterior. He gives me a sly grin and begins making a drink over at the coffee machine.

I'm going to try to keep a level head about this and not grasp at straws, but when he does little things like this, it makes me want to believe the feeling might be mutual.

And while he might argue and fight with his longtime friend Ino, he doesn't treat her with this kind of courtesy. Yes, he treats every woman with the same basic level of respect, but there's something different about the way he treats me. I hope I'm not just looking at this through hopeful eyes.

The whir of the coffee machine dies down and Shikamaru turns around with a steaming cup of coffee and a small smile. "One white chocolate raspberry latte for the lady," he says, putting a lid on the cup and sliding it towards me. "For almost finishing your thesis."

I accept the cup of coffee and feel a nudge on my side.

It's Sakura, and she's smirking knowingly, her eyebrows raised and her head nodding subtly.

I turn back to my coffee and smile, the aroma filling my nose and filling my chest with a warm sensation.

Actually, that's not the coffee.

He remembered what my favorite drink was. I didn't even tell him what I wanted - he just made it for me without asking.

This man is wonderful. I think I might have a chance after all.

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**That's it for Konoha University Chronicles! If you have any chapter ideas or prompts, please please don't be afraid to send them my way! I'd like to continue this, but this is all I have written for now.**

**I'm not really a Shikamaru x Temari shipper, but hey, it works here. I've been trying to get less hostile towards the idea ever since they became canon at the end of Naruto.**

**But seriously, thank you for reading! Let me know what you think :)**

**As always, much love**

**\- Gallade**


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